STUDENTS from Darlington schools have left a lasting impression on a new housing development after winning the chance to name two of its streets.

The building of the 76-home Sandmartins estate, off Yarm Road, was partly funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) with the agreement that the project involved local schoolchildren in an educational capacity.

Pupils from Darlington School of Maths and Science (DSMS) and Haughton Academy were chosen to take part a ‘British Wild and Wetland Bird Species’ project, in keeping with the theme of the development.

As part of the project, the pupils were asked to choose street names and make presentations on the reasons behind their selections.

The winning names, Lapwing Drive, proposed by DSMS, and Pintail Close, from Haughton Academy, were chosen after the presentations to a panel of local business people and Darlington Borough Council officials.

David Halfacre, Chairman of the developers Esh Property Services, said: “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.”