THE farmer who sold land to the council to build Newton Farm in Hereford visited the site to see the last of the demolition in an ongoing redevelopment.

Herefordshire Housing has contributed £13million to the redevelopment, which includes the demolition of 198 flats and building 259 homes.

The last remaining concrete flats in Newton Farm are currently being demolished and the land, once cleared, will become home to a mixture of bungalows and two, three and four bedroom homes.

Derek Powell, 89, went to the site last Friday with his wife, Valerie, to see how the site is changing.

The couple lived in a farmhouse surrounded by grazing land, which is now where the Newton Farm housing development stands.

The couple was served with a compulsory purchase order by Hereford Council in 1959 for their 150-acre farm and the farmhouse.

Mr Powell said: "I was born here in 1927. I farmed this land. It does bring back a lot of memories.

"The city came out and met us out here."

The concrete flats were built in Newton Farm for families who had relocated from post-war cities like Birmingham to work in factories such as Wiggins Special Metals.

Herefordshire Housing said the flats were hastily constructed and desperately needed to be replaced.

Funding for the project was received in 2012 and building is expected to completed next year. Most families have opted to come back to the area once construction is finished.

The Powells continued to farm on the land until the building finally started. In 1961, the family moved to Marden. They had three children; Colin, Patricia and Shirley.

Mr Powell had a twin brother called Ken, who farmed at Newton with their parents. Ken went on to farm near Abergavenny.

Christine Duggan, director of housing and development at Herefordshire Housing, said: "Derek gave up his land for the old estate, we all know that this wasn't perfect. This final demolition marks a fresh start for the area, one that we've worked hard with the community to get right".

The final phase of the Oval regeneration project is due to be completed early next year.

Ward councillor, Philip Edwards said: "The flats have passed their expiry date and it is nice to see them going now and new houses coming here.

"I think it is great to see people have hope and opportunity. If people have hope they will go on and contribute."