Member Article

Housing boost for new town

A public/private partnership which has already invested over £100 million to help regenerate villages around Durham City will now create 175 more new homes in Newton Aycliffe.

The Durham Villages Regeneration Company (DVRC) has been given the go ahead to develop its first housing scheme outside the old city district boundary – at Cobblers Hall in Newton Aycliffe.

The granting of planning permission for the two, three and four bedroomed homes is a significant milestone for DVRC – a partnership between regeneration specialist Keepmoat and Durham County Council.

Cllr. Neil Foster is the DVRC chair. He said: “This is great news. Not only has DVRC the capacity to provide new homes but it creates training and job opportunities for local people.

“In this case it will provide money to invest in more affordable rented housing in Newton Aycliffe and also pay for environmental works - maintaining a local nature reserve.”

Planning Committee members voted unanimously in favour of the proposal after hearing that the site will benefit from a sustainable urban drainage scheme to minimise the risk of local run-off flooding and that 10 per cent of the homes will be fitted with a source of sustainable passive energy, which is likely to comprise roof-mounted solar panels.

Local ward member, Cllr. John Clare, said: “To say Aycliffe has done well out of this would be an understatement. A housing development of any kind will bring a major economic boost to any town but we’ve got close to £1m of investment thrown in for good measure.”

Cobblers Hall has been the primary focus for residential growth within Newton Aycliffe since 1992 and this site will represent the final phase of development, bringing the total number of homes built there to around 800.

The development of the Agility factory nearby, to build and maintain the trains which will replace Britain’s Intercity 125 fleet, is expected to further increase housing demand in the area.

Although house building cannot begin until the environmental work has been completed, meaning construction of the new homes won’t start until early next year, Richard Bass, Managing Director for Keepmoat New Build in the North East, commented: “We very much look forward to developing within Newton Aycliffe and believe that this development will deliver further high quality DVRC homes for those wanting to live in the area.”

This will be the third development in Newton Aycliffe to be built by Keepmoat. The others are also on the Cobblers Hall site – one directly opposite this latest one.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Dobbie .