RISING buyer confidence and a stronger market have helped a housebuilder deliver solid results.

Persimmon, which has offices in Bowburn, near Durham City, and Newcastle, says sales increased 17 per cent to 13,509 for the period to December 31 2014.

Average selling prices were five per cent higher at £190,500 for the year.

The company also revealed full-year revenues were up 23 per cent compared to 2013 to stand at £2.6bn, with cash balances rising from £204m to £378m, and forward sales standing at £973m.

Bosses said it has also delivered a 36 per cent increase in the number of new homes delivered to the market in the last two years.

A spokesman for the firm, which has its headquarters in York, said: “We experienced good levels of demand across the UK throughout 2014.

“We also saw a return to a more traditional seasonal pattern to customer activity and sold well right through to the end of the autumn season.”

Last year, The Northern Echo revealed Persimmon’s launch of a scheme to deliver hundreds of jobs for ex-forces staff.

The company is re-training former military personnel to work on its sites, and hopes to create up to 500 posts a year.

Known as the Combat to Construction programme, the venture is being supported by Darlington training provider Nordic Focus Training Group.

It has already seen scores of people sign up for courses to take on roles such as bricklayers and joiners, with some now working on sites and new recruits joining the programme every four weeks.

Jeff Fairburn, Persimmon’s chief executive, told The Northern Echo the firm hopes to expand the scheme across the country, with aims to open training centres in London and the Midlands.