RESIDENTS of a Tavistock street have celebrated the completion of a £2-million project which has stabilised shallow 18th and 19th century mine workings below the bed rock beneath their homes.

For almost a decade, some of the residents of Drake Gardens have been living with the uncertainty of their homes being blighted, following the discovery of old mine workings in the area.

West Devon Borough Council has taken the lead in regenerating the area through a series of funding applications to central government to enable works to be carried out.

The project has just been completed and Cllr Donald Horn, mayor of West Devon, joined residents to unveil a newly restored Drake Gardens street sign to mark the milestone.

Around 20 family homes were directly affected by the old lead mining works, including five properties owned by housing association West Devon Homes. The five houses are currently being refurbished and will be brought back into use as family homes again.

The council applied for and was awarded a £2-million Homes and Communities Agency grant last year to pay for the work.

The grant was approved through a Derelict Land Clearance Order granted by Parliament and West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox helped the council get the necessary parliamentary procedures in place.

Over the last four months, contractors have filled the shallow voids beneath the affected properties and the street has now been given the all-clear. The council has also identified and repaired the drainage infrastructure in the area and reinstated the road and gardens that have been disturbed by the work.

Cllr Mandy Govier, who represents the Tavistock South ward on the borough council, said: 'The completion of the works means that people can now get on with their lives without this hanging over them. It will also bring the Drake Gardens area back to life.

'They have been incredibly resilient throughout and have shown a huge amount of patience. I'm really delighted for them that this worrying period has come to an end.'

Mr Cox said: 'I am relieved and delighted that at last we have achieved what we set out to do — make Drake Gardens safe for its residents.'