A HOUSING scheme which is occupied by Matching villagers - to help meet the demand for affordable housing in the area - will be officially opened tomorrow.

The opening of Clifford Court, at Matching Tye, will mark the end of long-running efforts by Matching Parish Council to provide a local needs housing scheme.

In recent years the council has been in contact with several housing associations, but finding a suitable site proved the main issue.

Hastoe Housing Association was asked to look around Matching parish for potential sites, with the best one being land owned by a parish councillor who wanted to give something back to the community.

Hastoe agreed terms and planning permission was granted in November 2006 with Hastoe managing to switch Housing Corporation funding from another village in the district where the land became unavailable, and contractor T. J. Evers, from Colchester, was appointed to build the scheme.

The four two-bedroom and four three-bedroom houses are built to Lifetime Homes standard and achieve EcoHomes Level Very Good.

The homes, which will be officially launched by Epping Forest Council chairman Caroline Pond, were finished at the end of January and were let to local people the same day.