BULLDOZERS have moved in to start work on the latest phase of the biggest housing regeneration scheme seen in Eastleigh for decades.

For years a question mark had hung over the maze of time-worn flats in The Gardens area of the town centre. Tagged the Cinderella flats, they had been dogged with problems and had a high turnover of residents.

Now the area is being transformed by Eastleigh Housing Association's £15m redevelopment scheme.

Funded by the EHA, the Housing Corporation and Eastleigh Council the 1960s housing complex is being replaced with 151 homes comprising seven blocks of flats and 43 houses.

Many of the residents will return to the new homes on the development with the remainder of the rented accommodation being filled from the Homechoice register.

Thirty-two flats will be sold on the open market and 119 will be available for rent. Three of the rented flats will be specially designed to accommodate people in wheelchairs.

EHA's development project manager Sara Sawyer said: "The Elm Tree phase of the development has already been completed.

"We took handover of 13 houses and one block of flats from Barratts before Christmas and two further blocks of flats in January. A large majority of these are already occupied."

Demolition squads have now moved in to knock down 50 flats at Desborough Road and Maple Leaf Gardens. From the rubble will rise 67 flats and 21 houses.

Bulldozers will then move into Grantham Court to pave the way for a development of nine houses.

A EHA spokesman said that the redevelopment was due for completion in spring or early summer of next year.