GOVERNMENT funding worth more than £12.8m has been secured to pay for infrastructure for 3,350 new houses in Darlington and Stockton.

Darlington Borough Council has been awarded £2.8m of the funding to pave the way for future housing developments, with £10m earmarked for neighbouring Stockton.

In Darlington, the funding will be used to pay for roads, play areas and schools – which will ultimately enable 1,200 new homes to be built at West Park.

And 2,150 houses will be located on the West Stockton Strategic Urban Expansion site, to the north-west of Stockton-on-Tees.

Cash from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund will enable the developments to go ahead – and it is hoped secure more than £430m of private sector investment.

The bid is the first phase of a major infrastructure programme being coordinated by the councils and Tees Valley Combined Authority, under Mayor Ben Houchen.

The investment is expected to help bring more than 20,570 homes across six sites in Stockton and Darlington – which it is hoped will deliver private development funding of £2.9bn.

Mr Houchen said: "This funding is a great start for our push for high-quality, diverse housing across the Tees Valley.

"These developments will begin to unlock our growth potential and give us the means to attract and retain talented people to the area.

“However this tranche of cash is only the start of our plans to radically drive forward sustainable home building in the region.

"We will continue to work hard with all five councils and other partners to ensure Tees Valley has the right types of homes in the right places.”

Councillor Bill Dixon, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “We are very pleased that our application for West Park has been successful.

“This means the funds are in place for the important enabling infrastructure, around which the houses will be built.

“This cash quite literally gives us something to build on for the future prosperity of the area and in addressing the issue of undersupply across the market.”

Tony Cooper, Director of Bussey & Armstrong, said: “We welcome this announcement of funding for enabling infrastructure at West Park.

“We are looking forward to continuing to work in partnership with the Council for the good of the town.”

Bob Cook, Combined Authority Cabinet member for Housing and Regeneration, and also Stockton Borough Council's leader said: “We are delighted our funding bid for West Stockton was successful.

“We have considered the sites carefully for the Housing Growth Corridor to maximise on the opportunities and create truly sustainable communities.

"It’s fantastic news for Stockton and the wider area that we can now get spades into the ground early in these plans.”