Refurbishment work is now complete on the first property in Liverpool using the Homes for a Pound scheme.

According to the Liverpool Express, Jayalal Madde, 49, was the first applicant to be allocated a house under the city council's scheme to sell 20 of its properties for just £1 last year in the Granby Four Streets, Arnside Road in Kensington and Webster Triangle East in Picton.

He will be giving Mayor Joe Anderson a guided tour of his house on Cairns Street in Granby on Wednesday 10 December, ahead of moving into the property in time for Christmas.

-- Advertisement --

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said: "I am really pleased to be having a look around Mr Madde's new home and seeing the work he has carried out to bring it up to standard.

"I know from my conversations with him that he has a genuine commitment to the area, and it is great to know that a once run down property has been lovingly transformed into a home for his family, and will also help contribute to making the local area more attractive and sustainable.

"This is a really creative scheme, but is just part of the overall picture. Across the city, we've already brought more than 1,300 properties back into use over the last two years, and through our housing development partners we are committed to making sure another 1,000 are renovated."

Work is underway on six other Homes for a Pound properties that were handed over last year, and the remaining properties in the pilot will be given to their new owners at the start of 2015 – taking the total number to 20. More than 1,000 people applied to be part of the scheme.

(CD/JP)