Stressed families have been let down yet again on a moving date for an estate of new homes in March.

The families were last week told everybody would definitely be in by the end of April - but days later were told it would be the end of May.

Residents spokesman Tina Thompson said: “Sanctuary are already 18 months later than scheduled. We have been given one date after another for months.

“Families get their hopes up and then time and again we are let down.

“It gets so close, everybody gets excited to finally be getting into our homes and then is taken away from us right at the last minute.

“It is beyond a joke now, we have been told it is a paperwork problem.”

Tina said: “Everybody has now had a site visit to see their new accommodation, there is light at the end of the tunnel, I hope this May date is our final one, but we’re getting to a stage where we don’t believe a word they say anymore.”

Tina’s daughter along with her partner and two young children lived in a box room at Tina’s home for months before being found private rented accommodation while they waited for the site to be ready.

“It put us all under a lot of pressure,” she said.

Many families have lived on borrowed time with favours from family and friends, some couples forced to live in separate homes, others in tiny box rooms with parents while they waited for the estate to be completed.

The housing association helped others find private rented accommodation.

For the first time in its 40 year history Sanctuary said it had to step in and take over the management of a site due to deadlines not being met.

The most crucial missing element holding up the scheme, they say, is two site access roads and footpaths over an existing ditch.

Simon Clark, Sanctuary’s group director housing and support said: “We were delighted to show some of our future residents around one of the three-bedroom properties earlier this week. The homes are very nearly finished although we still have a bit of work to do on the roads and drainage ditches before residents can move in.

“We will be helping families move into their new homes in a phased approach through the spring, and we will be calling each household individually over the next few weeks to give them approximate moving dates.