£6m investment sees 84 new homes for Darlington

84 new houses are to be built in Darlington as part of a £6m investment for regeneration in the area.

Construction company Esh Group are set to demolish 76 council flats in the Cockerton area to make way for 84 new family homes.

Planning permission has been granted by Darlington Council for this phase of the major regeneration project which will see £6m invested in the new housing for the area.

The works will also see new play areas and green spaces developed in the area, improved links to West Park and the possibility of developing the Nickstream Lane shopping area.

Esh Group are funding the works along with a £900,000 grant awarded to the Council and Esh Group by the Homes and Community Agency after a successful funding bid with support from Endeavour Housing Association, who will own and manage the properties.

The project is expected to bring jobs to the area and developers are keen to work with local businesses to act as trade suppliers to the project.

David Halfacre, Chairman of Esh Property Services, said: “We are delighted with this scheme; we believe it will transform the area which had become very run down.

“Lots of unpopular one-bedroom flats were standing empty, the shopping area was not well used and the play areas were tucked away and harboured anti-social activity which in turn was causing upset to residents nearby.

“Esh Group together with North Star Housing and Darlington Council put together this great plan which won the support of the Homes & Communities Agency.

“ Overall we’ll be demolishing 76 existing houses to make way for 84 new family homes – 60 of which will be available for rent and 24 for sale.

“It’s a really exciting scheme which we believe will transform the whole area.”

Work is already underway to refurbish council housing in Cockerton, with work on 142 homes due for completion in March.

The renovation, which is funded by money the Council receives through council housing rent, has included new bathrooms, kitchens, heating systems, roofs and parking areas.

Veronica Copeland, Darlington Council’s Cabinet Member for housing, said: “The regeneration work at Cockerton will see the area developed for today’s lifestyle – family houses available for rent and sale with good, well planned local amenities and links.

“The major financial investment in the project is a huge boost in confidence for our Borough and something we should all take pride in – to know developers want to invest their money here is wonderful news.

“The fact this investment could bring with it jobs for local people and opportunities for local businesses is also welcome news for our economy.”

The majority of the 84 new homes will be available for rent from Endeavour Housing Association, part of the North Star Housing Group, and the remainder for sale.

Angela Lockwood, Group Chief Executive of North Star Housing Group, said:“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Darlington Borough Council, Esh Group and the Homes and Communities Agency on this exciting new development.

“The scheme will bring high quality, environmentally friendly homes to those in housing need.

“As a Group, we are always keen to ensure that our development activities bring value to the communities in which we work, which is why we are so pleased that our investment could result in opportunities for local businesses and employment for local people.”