Thousands of new homes to be built in new garden village for Darlington thanks to £43 million in taxpayer-funded support
Homes England invests £43 million in Burtree Garden Village
Funding will support green infrastructure and travel links for a new sustainable community
Project to create 2,000 new homes, employment space and public facilities in Darlington.
Thousands of new homes will be built in a new garden village in Burtree, Darlington, thanks to £43 million government funding announced by Homes England today (26 January).
Burtree Garden Village is set to create a new sustainable community of 2000 homes and state-of-the-art facilities that will help more people into homeownership, while also providing affordable homes and accommodation for older people.
Homes England has today announced £43 million to fund vital infrastructure for the new village – including new highways, sustainable travel links, and a public park and nature reserve, which will eventually cover almost half of the 307-acre site.
The investment forms part of the Government’s £1.3 billion Land Assembly Fund to help build much-needed new homes in the right places and level up the country, by overcoming local barriers to development such as new infrastructure or land contamination.
Peter Denton, Chief Executive at Homes England, said:
The creation of Burtree Garden Village will play a transformative role in helping Darlington to achieve its significant growth ambitions, and we’re proud to be able to bring it a step closer to reality through funding vital infrastructure works.
This is a great example of how we can support places with a clear vision and pipeline of delivery to unlock housing and regeneration opportunities and deliver on the government’s levelling up agenda.
Homes England will work in partnership with local SME developer Hellens Group and Darlington Borough Council to deliver the new garden community.
The project is also set to help to drive local growth and create 2,750 new jobs in Darlington - with 200,000 sqm of new employment space, a new primary school and a community centre planned for the new village.
The first phase of the scheme set to progress through planning this year will include proposals for 750 homes and infrastructure, such as green spaces and transport links.
The funding, announced today, for Burtree Garden Village builds on £446,000 it has already received through the Government’s Garden Communities programme, which helps councils progress long-term housing projects.
The move forms part of the Government’s drive to boost homebuilding. It follows £60 million made available to councils this week by the government to help transform disused land into new homes for communities across the country - the second tranche of the separate £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund 2.
Further Information
The £1.3 billion Land Assembly Fund is delivered by Homes England and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. More information on the fund is available here.
Hellens Group successfully obtained Garden Communities status from the Government for the Burtree Garden Village development in July 2019.