Over £2 million of maintenance work is to be undertaken at over 600 Derry homes, the NI ousing Executive has announced.

Maintenance contractor PK Murphy will modernise kitchens in 620 various locations in the city, including Grainan Drive, Friel Close, Bracken Park, Greenwalk and Longtower.

External maintenance is also being carried out in homes in Bloomfield Park, Moss Park and Slievemore Park.

During the kitchen replacement schemes, tenants will have brand new modern kitchens fitted and will be offered kitchen units and worktops from a range of finishes.

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Electrical and plumbing installations will also be upgraded to modern day standards. Electrically wired smoke alarms will be installed in those homes, which currently do not have this facility.

The total investment is valued at around £2.3million.

Area Manager Sean Mackie said: "Maintaining our properties in good condition is one of our main priorities and work has already started on replacing the kitchens in Friel Close in Collon Terrace District and Greenwalk in Waterloo Place.

"During the next few months work will be starting on the remaining schemes. Tenants are being consulted about the details of the schemes and we will continue to liaise with them to ensure that work progresses with the minimum of disruption for those involved."

Kenneth Creswell, a tenant from Friel Close, welcomed the news.

"I am very pleased with the way that the kitchen has turned out. It is such a change from the old one. The Housing Executive and contractor, PK Murphy, were very good at keeping us up to date on what was happening with the scheme. All the disruption in the house was worth it," said Mr Creswell.

(PR)