A MULTI-million pound NHS project to build 81 new houses designed with health and wellbeing in mind has been nominated for a national award.

Darlington became one of just ten locations in the country selected for the NHS Healthy New Towns scheme, with homes currently being built in the Red Hall area of town.

The initiative is hoped to address five areas, including health and wellbeing, connecting communities, smart housing and building, a healthy environment and engaged community planning.

The NHS claims that by considering each of the area in housing developments, health challenges such as obesity and dementia can be managed.

The scheme, led by Darlington Borough Council, alongside NHS, academic, housing development and technology partners in the area, has now been nominated in the public health category at the Local Government Chronicle Awards.

A team from the Healthy New Towns programme will present more information about the programme to a panel of judges before a winner is announced in March next year.

The project initially focused on the Red Hall area of town, with a number of schemes developed with partners to work on long-standing issues of deprivation, poor health outcomes and child poverty.

Councillor Andrew Scott, the council’s cabinet member for health and partnerships, said: “Healthy New Towns has made a great impact in the last two years, not just in Red Hall but across the town as good practice is shared more widely.

“I congratulate the team on their nomination for this award and look forward to finding out the final result.”

As well as improvements to existing council housing stock, the design principles will be rolled out in a new estate of 81 properties under construction at the Fairway development in Red Hall, off McMullen Road.

Other Healthy New Towns projects delivered in the Red Hall community were a school holiday hunger scheme, the establishment of a Friends of Red Hall group to give residents a stronger voice in their community and the construction of a new play park and outdoor gym, as well as a dedicated walking route.

For more information on the Healthy New Towns scheme, visit england.nhs.uk