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A Bideford couple, Mr and Mrs Alan Nichols, and their 11 year old son Mark, are now living in the first of 12 house which have been built at East-the-Water, Bideford, in North Devon’s first co-ownership scheme.

12.1.1973 new homes1 Bideford

They were handed the keys to their new home at Alver Green, Alverdiscott Road, by Mr Jeremy Thorpe, MP, for North Devon, in an opening ceremony attended by civic representatives both from Bideford and from Barnstaple, where it is hoped to put in hand a similar scheme shortly.
The Nichol’s family formerly lived in Ashley Terrace, Bideford, running a small shop and dairy.
Welcoming Mr Thorpe, the Mayor of Bideford, Mr Jim Needs, said everyone realised the scheme was an important one but in years to come it would become even more important than was at present realised because it would enable so many people to enjoy home ownership.
Bideford Council could claim to have played a part in the Alver Green project in that they had sold the land concerned to the corporation – one of the rare times that the Council had sold housing land, he pointed out.
The full Gazette article is dated 12 January 1973

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