A property giant has announced the first houses of hundreds planned to be built in County Durham over the next decade have gone on sale.

Bellway have launched their new housing development at Clarence Gate in Bowburn to the public, with building underway on 91 homes.

The homes currently on the market are a mixture of three and four-bedroom houses, and this coincided with Bellway launching their sales cabin this month.

The development forms part of the Integra 61 commercial and residential scheme situated just off Junction 61 of the A1(M).

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Oliver Wray, Sales Manager for Bellway Durham, said: “We were initially planning to launch our Clarence Gate development at the beginning of next year, but such has been the demand from prospective buyers that we have decided to make the first homes available.

“Clarence Gate has already generated a significant number of enquiries, with more than 130 people registering their interest in the development to date.

"By bringing our launch date forward, we hope to cater for this demand from local people looking to secure a home in this brand-new neighbourhood.

“Our development will form a key part of the wider Intregra 61 scheme, an ambitious project which aims to deliver 270 homes, create 4,000 jobs and provide a £2 billion boost to the local economy over the next decade.

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"The homes at Clarence Gate will have an attractive green backdrop, with areas of public open space, landscaped pockets and a tree-lined boulevard forming the main route through the site."

Meanwhile, the developers have said while Clarence Gate will be its own neighbourhood, new owners will benefit from its close proximity to Bowburn town centre.

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They have said work is progressing well, and the first properties are expected to be complete by next spring

Planning permission for the homes was granted by Durham County Council in April this year, and the company began construction work on the 8-acre site in September.

For information on the development, visit here.