Theresa May unveils phase one of Kidwells Close development

The first stage of a multi-million pound housing development overlooking Kidwells Park has been officially launched by Maidenhead MP Theresa May.

The Home Secretary joined representatives from the Royal Borough, developer One Housing Group and contractor Wates Group at the launch of phase one of the Kidwells Close estate on Friday, praising the development as contributing to a 'real buzz' about the future of Maidenhead.

Mrs May officially launched the £29.7m development back in July 2011 which, once complete in 2015, will provide 204 homes made up of a mix of social rent, shared ownership and private sale properties.

The completed phase one of the scheme, which is broken up into four stages, has seen 72 homes completed, including 36 for social rent, nine for shared ownership and 27 for private sale.

The phase has prioritised redeveloping the apartments of the tenants of the old Kidwells Close development, built in the 1960s, which used to be the site of 84 homes but had become outdated and fell short of the Government's Decent Homes Standard.

Many of the residents had remained on site throughout the process, and were present at Friday's formal unveiling.

Addressing the crowd, Mrs May praised the appearance of the build and described the previous estate as 'not exactly the most attractive'.

"This is going to be a great addition to Maidenhead and I believe will provide homes which the residents will enjoy," she said.

Speaking to the Advertiser, she added: "I believe this is an important time for Maidenhead. I think there is a real growth in confidence for the future."

Mick Sweeney, chief executive of One Housing Group, added: "Creating aspirational and sustainable communities is at the core of One Housing Group and Kidwells is a great example of this."