WORK has started on a £40 million housing development which will see 240 new homes created on part of a former hospital site.
The development by Cumbria-based Story Homes on a 31-acre site adjoining Shotley Bridge Hospital near Consett, County Durham, includes a wide range of properties, from two-bedroom apartments to five-bedroom houses. It also features 60 affordable homes, half of which will be rented, with the other 30 discounted.
Story Homes calculates that around 75 new jobs will be created, in addition to new work for suppliers and service providers in and around County Durham.
The independent house-builder based in Carlisle, which celebrates its silver jubilee this year, was named the Best Developer in the UK last year.
Chief executive Fred Story said: “We have earned a proud reputation for building top-quality homes offering real value-for-money over the last quarter of a century throughout Cumbria, Lancashire and South West Scotland.
“The Shotley Bridge development is a really exciting new landmark for us. It is our first move into County Durham and only our second scheme in the North East, following the Hadrian’s Rise development at Haltwhistle in Northumberland.
“We are now looking forward to creating a superb new development of Story Homes properties for the people of County Durham and beyond.”
The Shotley Bridge development will consist of 12 two-bedroom apartments, 66 two-bedroom houses, 59 three-bedroom houses, 94 four-bedroom houses and nine five-bedroom houses.
Coun Clive Robson, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “This is an exciting time for Consett and the surrounding area, with a number of key developments taking off and I am delighted to see this one moving forward.
“I am particularly pleased to welcome the additional number of affordable homes which will make a significant contribution towards the council’s overall target for the county.”
Gill Hay, area manager at the Homes and Communities Agency, whose predecessor, English Partnerships, handled the disposal and development of redundant NHS sites, said: “It is great to see this scheme start on site to provide much needed housing for Derwentside.
“I look forward to coming back to see the first home completed in the next few months.”
It is expected that the first phase of properties will be released for sale in May 2012.
Much of the land surrounding Shotley Bridge Hospital became available for development when the hospital was down-sized to a community hospital.
