New Darlington play park unveiled off Neasham Road

The play area off Neasham Road has been built within the latest phase of Darlington Council's largest new-build housing project in decades - where 150 council homes will eventually be delivered.

Councillor Matthew Roche, cabinet member for health and housing at Darlington Council, said: "I’m delighted that the latest phase at Neasham Road is now complete and that we’ve also been able to add the play area for younger residents to enjoy for years to come."

The latest completed phase includes four three-bedroom homes and nine four-bedroom properties, some of which are available through a rent-to-buy scheme.

It also features the Elder play area, designed for children aged two to 16.

The play area was developed with input from young residents through a community consultation.

Children helped decide what equipment should be included in the park, and residents will soon be invited to help choose its official name.

The park includes a wide range of equipment to support swinging, climbing, sliding, crawling, balancing, and imaginative play.

Multi-play units are tailored to different age groups: Mother Hubbard for under-fives, Astero for children aged five and above, and Nexus for those aged eight and older.

Accessibility was a key consideration in the design.

The park features a roundabout and sensory panel connected by wetpour to a new tarmac pathway, ensuring good wheelchair access in all weathers, while the rest of the equipment sits on safety grass mats.

Cllr Roche said: "We’ve already seen more than 360 homes designed and built in-house by our housing and building services teams as part of our commitment to increase the number of affordable homes across the borough.

"This is a key part of our Council Plan, and these developments will help us reduce the number of people on our housing waiting list."

Once completed, the Neasham Road project will include a mix of 64 two-bedroom apartments, 24 two-bedroom houses, 43 three-bedroom houses, and 19 four-bedroom houses.

Some properties will be made available as rent-to-buy homes, supporting residents on the path to affordable home ownership.

The development is supported by government funding through Homes England and is part of a joint venture with Homes by Esh.

Homes by Esh is also constructing 155 properties for sale in its Elder Brook Park scheme nearby.

Construction on later stages of the development will continue throughout the year.

Streets in the new estate are being named after notable sports figures connected to Darlington, including Arthur Wharton, Ronald Brebner, Charles Craven, and George Butterfield.

The allocation of homes will be managed through the Darlington Homesearch system in line with the council’s Local Lettings Policy.

Residents who have not yet been successful in securing a home are encouraged to monitor the council’s website and social media channels for updates on future phases.

To apply for a property, applicants should visit the Darlington Council website and navigate to housing and select ‘Find a home or garage’, then ‘Applying for a council home’, and review the Local Lettings Policy under ‘New council housing’.

Pupils from The Rydal Academy were invited to help officially open the play park earlier this month.