The name of a new housing development in Staffordshire has been revealed.

West Midlands-based housing organisation Housing Plus ran a competition to choose the name for its new 83-apartment complex on the site of the Vine Inn in Walkmill Lane, Bridgtown.

Former local resident Sue Purcell chose the name Vine Court in memory of the Vine Inn, which once stood on the site.

Her passionate entry caught the eyes of the judging panel which comprised of Housing Plus staff and guest judges, Councillor Ellis and Councillor Phil Freeman, the housing chief for Cannock Chase Council, as she revealed a tale of local connections that spanned back to her great-great-grandfather. Housing Plus asked local people in December to make suggestions for the new development, and 42 names were suggested.

Debbie Griffiths, chief executive of Housing Plus, said: “We feel that when we name our sites it is important to harness the knowledge and interests of local residents. Mrs Purcell has strong family roots in Cannock, in particular with the Vine Court site, and we felt the name perfectly suits the new development.”

Mrs Purcell now lives in Worcester but her connections to the site are strong. For more than 50 years her mother and grandmother were licensees of the Vine Inn – and she was born there.

Her father was a security guard at the Lucas factory, which also stood upon the grounds and her great-great-grandfather was the manager of the tilery works at the end of Walkmill Lane.

Councillor Freeman said: “Her story shows how the Cannock community is made up of a range of generations from young families to elderly people, and providing affordable housing for everyone will secure this trend for the future.”

Vine Court is a development of 83 apartments, of which 70 are available for rent and 13 for part buy-part rent.