Member Article

Barratt Developments welcomes local MP Peter Gibson to The Orchard at West Park development in Darlington

Local housebuilder, Barratt Developments, has welcomed MP Peter Gibson to its new Darlington development, The Orchard at West Park, as construction work continues to progress.

MP Peter Gibson, was welcomed onto the new development by Barratt Developments North East’s Managing Director Carl Sobolewski, Regional Managing Director Mike Roberts, Construction Director Scott Lester, Contracts Manager Jim Bage and Sales Manager Emily Watson, where he received an insightful tour of the site, which will offer a total of 239 properties spanning both Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes brands.

The visit saw Mr Gibson take a look inside the housebuilder’s brand new Denby house type - a three bedroom detached family home which has been specifically designed in response to changing attitudes towards home working following the pandemic. Representing the first of its kind for the housebuilder in the UK, the show home allowed Mr Gibson to gain an insight into the way new homes are designed in response to evolving homeowner preferences.

During his visit, the Darlington MP was also shown how Barratt Developments is using timber frame construction for the build of a number of its new homes as a way to reduce its average build time and enhance energy efficiency levels.

Mr Gibson expressed interest in learning about the many activities that the housebuilder conducts with the local community, such as working with local Mount Pleasant Primary School to engage pupils with outdoor learning, as well as Community Fund donations that see a local charity or organisation in the area receive a donation of £1,000 each month.

In addition to this, Darlington will see enhancements that the local housebuilder is making to the area, including improvements in bus stop provisions and sustainable transport, as well as facilitating the completion of Newton Lane highways improvements, and the creation of accessible open spaces that can be used for sport, outdoor leisure and children’s play.

The schemes available on the development ensure that both existing homeowners and first-time buyers are supported. A brand-new Deposit Unlock Scheme will enable both first time buyers and homemovers to purchase a new-build home with a 5% deposit, supported by Newcastle Building Society, the North East is the first region of the country to launch this scheme. The innovative Part Exchange scheme allows buyers to sell their existing home to Barratt Developments, and alleviates any estate agent fees at the end of the sale. Aside from this the development will see the implementation of two new schemes, Home Reach and Help to Buy, that will further benefit potential buyers.

Peter Gibson, Member of Parliament for Darlington, commented: “I was thrilled to have been invited to visit the new development, and to learn about the many ways in which Barratt Developments will be supporting the local community. The development provides much-needed, high quality housing for Darlington residents, as well as plenty of fantastic schemes to help people step on, or up, the property ladder, which is crucial to the area. I look forward to seeing how the site will continue to develop over the coming months, forming part of the masterplan to create 1,200 new homes for the area, which is a really exciting time for Darlington.”

Carl Sobolewski, Managing Director at Barratt Developments North East said: “It was wonderful to welcome MP Peter Gibson to The Orchard at West Park, and give him a behind-the-scenes look at all of the hard work that goes into building communities in the region. We’ve taken care to adapt the properties that we build in response to customer demand for functional and flexible spaces, as we continue to provide high quality homes as demonstrated with the UK’s first Denby showhome. Mr Gibson’s visit was a fantastic way to celebrate the launch of our new development, and we look forward to working with him in the future, particularly as we look to address local skills and labour shortages, and thank him for taking the time to visit the site.”

Barratt Developments’ The Orchard at West Park offers a collection of three and four bedroom homes, available to purchase from just £198,995. Offering a community feel in the heart of Darlington, The Orchard at West Park is the perfect location for both first time buyers and families who are looking for their forever home.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Richard Savage .