Houses damaged by gas blast replaced by council

Seven people were injured in the blast which ripped through the street

Work to replace houses badly damaged in an explosion in Kent more than four years ago has been completed.

Seven people were injured with many trapped under rubble after the blast in Mill View, Willesborough, on 4 May, 2021.

An investigation later found the explosion was caused by a leak from a portable gas heater in one of the homes.

Ashford Borough Council (ABC) said a £1.25m rebuild project, which began a year ago, was now complete and tenants would be moving in "very soon".

The four new homes have a mix of two and three bedrooms

Three council-owned properties and one privately owned home were badly damaged in the 2021 explosion, ABC said.

Two two-bedroom homes and two three-bedroom homes have now been constructed on the cleared site where 13, 15, 17 and 19 Mill View previously stood.

Each home is heated through an air source heat pump, has solar panels on its roof, an electric vehicle charging point and a high standard of insulation, the council said.

Council leader Noel Ovenden said: "I'm passionate about providing genuinely affordable quality housing for everyone, so I'm delighted that our housing team has delivered a project to replace the homes that were destroyed by the explosion and subsequent fire.

"These new homes have been constructed to a high standard with green features and future-proof designs that can adapt to a tenant's changing personal needs."