Land deal success for the North East

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve recently finalised a trio of land deals that will allow us to bring forward three new development sites across the North East, which would see the delivery of 635 homes, including 97 affordable properties.

The three projects are valued in excess of £187m, representing investment in excess of £133m, including a £9m*boost for the local authorities.

We’ve been collaborating with several organisations including Home Group, Northumbrian Land and Savills, to progress our plans to deliver high quality new homes in Darlington, Tanfield and Eaglescliffe.

Beaumont Grange, Darlington – 102 homes

The Berrymead Farm site, which will be named Beaumont Grange, has planning permission for 102 new homes, and forms part of a wider scheme which will see us developing our site alongside land earmarked for the provision of a new Primary and Nursery school. We purchased our parcel of land from Edward Yuill/Northumbrian Land & Savills, with whom we exchanged contracts in December 2021, and we have now successfully completed the purchase following the receipt of reserved matters planning consent in December 2022.

Ray Minto, Director of Development at Savills said: “The deal between Northumbrian Land and Story Homes brings together two well established businesses that take pride in bringing forward high quality developments. We are confident that the team at Story Homes will create a development that will enhance the local area and make the best use of the land, and we’re looking forward to seeing the plans come to fruition.”

Beaumont Grange will deliver affordable housing, and contributions will be made in line with the Section 106 Agreement (S106**), towards sports provision, and cycling, walking and offsite highways improvements.

Amanda Stephenson, North East Land Manager said: “I’m delighted that we have successfully completed the purchase of this fantastic site in Darlington. There were complex elements to navigate through, but we’re pleased to have successfully worked with Edward Yuill/ Northumbrian Land and Savills to reach the final agreed deal.”

Land at Tanfield, County Durham – 280 homes

We have also secured the land at the former Ever Ready Industrial Estate in Tanfield, County Durham. This brownfield site was granted outline planning consent in January 2017. A reserved matters application has been submitted which seeks to deliver 280 new homes, and we are hoping for a decision in summer 2023.

Dan Chant, North East Senior Land Manager said: “Our proposed development on this brownfield site will not only improve the look of the area but will deliver multiple benefits to the local community during the construction phase and beyond, as well as direct and indirect employment opportunities for local people through subcontractors and the supply chain.”

The successful delivery of this development would see us investing a total of £284,000 into the area through S106 contributions; £15,000 of which would go towards bus infrastructure, whilst £125,000 would go towards a bus service. Of the remaining funds, £60,000 would be contributed to the creation of a cycleway and footpath and the final £84,000 would go towards sports facilities.

Sadler Woods, Eaglescliffe – 253 homes

In addition to the above, we’re also planning to deliver 253 new homes on the site known as Allens West in Eaglescliffe. The development, which will be named Sadler Woods, will form part of a wider 845 home site. We’ve entered into a Joint Venture with landowner, Home Group, which will see us build all 253 of the new homes, taking responsibility for selling the open market properties, whilst Home Group will take responsibility for the affordable housing.

Kitson Keen, Development Director for Home Group said: “We’re very excited to be collaborating with Story Homes on this project; they are a 5-star builder, and we are pleased that they will be delivering these new homes. The Story Homes team have been a pleasure to work with and we are looking forward to continuing to build on this relationship.”

Alongside the delivery of affordable housing, the substantial financial contributions generated by these three developments will provide a significant source of funding to support infrastructure improvements and local services that benefit the community, providing a huge boost to the local economy. These land deals are a significant achievement for us, and they will help us to further establish our presence in the North East, and help deliver our aspirational growth plans.

Stuart Morgan, North East Land Director said: “I’m absolutely thrilled with the completion of these three land deals, which clearly demonstrate that Story Homes continues to be active in the North East, further building on our proven track record of acquiring land for housing, unlocking its potential, and delivering high quality new homes in the region.

“The Land and Planning team have worked hard with our partners to secure these sites, and it’s a fantastic achievement for the business. These collaborations set a great example of how local businesses and organisations can work together for the mutual benefit of all parties. The success of these collaborations gives us great confidence that we can continue to explore these types of opportunities in the future.”

If you have land to sell click the button below to find out how our Strategic Land division could help you unlock its development potential.

*The figure of £9m was calculated using the following HBF calculator https://www.hbf.co.uk/policy/policy-and-wider-work-program/hbf-housing-calculator/

**A Section 106 is a legal agreement between an applicant seeking planning permission and the local planning authority, which is used to mitigate the impact of any new homes on the local community and infrastructure.