Students from two Darlington schools have visited a new housing development in the town after winning a competition to name the scheme’s streets.
Esh Property Services, part of Esh Group, in partnership with Coast & Country Housing and Livin, developed the former Eastbourne Comprehensive School site to provide both open market and affordable housing.
The new development, renamed ‘Sandmartins’, includes 76 two, three and four bedroom houses and bungalows. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) funded part of the development and, as part of this agreement, required a research project with a local education establishment to be created as part of its skills and employment strategy,
David Halfacre, Chairman of Esh Property Services explained:
“We always look for opportunities to work with local communities as part of our work – so we were delighted to work with two local schools as part of our development of Sandmartins particularly as the project resulted in them having a lasting impact on the scheme.”
To help to achieve the HCA’s aims Esh Property Services joined forces with Darlington School of Maths and Science (DSMS) and the Haughton Academy at the Education Village to organise a ‘British Wild and Wetland Bird Species’ project, in keeping with the theme of the development.
Pupils were challenged to use this theme to propose new street names for the Sandmartins development. Lapwing Drive, proposed by DSMS, and Pintail Close, an idea from Haughton Academy were chosen following presentations to a panel of local business people and representatives of Darlington Borough Council.
Students from both schools were invited to Sandmartins where the street signs are proudly displayed.
Lauren Kelly, Development Project Manager at Coast & Country, said: “Along with our partners we are very proud of the Sandmartins development, which is providing quality, affordable homes for people in Darlington.
“It was fun to work with the students and their suggestions were well received. Lapwing Drive and Pintail Close fit perfectly in with the chosen theme for the development and it was a pleasure to welcome the young people along to visit the site.”
David Halfacre, Chairman of Esh Property Services concluded:
“The success of the road naming project is just a small example of the overall success of Sandmartins. This scheme has been an exemplar of putting land into new use to properly benefit the area and local people and has been a tremendously successful collaboration between Coast & Country Housing, Livin, Darlington Borough Council and Esh Property Services.
“For a development of this size and quality to have planned, designed, created and put into use in such a short timescale is a credit to every single person who has been involved in it and we are very proud and delighted to have played our part.”