News

Work to create 32 new council homes in a County Durham village is now underway.

Durham County Council has begun work on its latest affordable housing scheme, in Greenwood Avenue, Burnhope, as part of its ambition to build new council homes across the county over the next five years.

The scheme, delivered in partnership with T. Manners & Sons, will provide a mix of two-bedroom bungalows alongside two, three and four-bedroom houses, designed to meet the needs of families, older people, and couples.

Groundworks and site preparation have now begun, with construction due to progress over the coming months. The first homes are expected to be completed in autumn 2026.

All properties will be built to modern standards with a focus on energy efficiency. This will help tenants keep their homes warm and comfortable while reducing energy bills, ensuring residents benefit from long-term cost savings as well as improved quality of life. The homes will also be designed with accessibility and flexibility in mind, allowing them to adapt to residents’ changing needs over time.

Cllr Joe Quinn, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for resources, investments and assets, said: “The Greenwood Avenue development at Burnhope is another clear example of how we are investing in the long-term future of our communities. By increasing the supply of affordable council housing, we are addressing local housing need, supporting inclusive growth, and ensuring residents benefit from secure, sustainable homes as part of our wider regeneration priorities.”

Simon Manners, managing director of T Manners & Sons, said: “We are really pleased to have started on our second new development for Durham County Council.

“The scheme will see 32 new homes built but will deliver so much more within the local community, including supporting the development of future talent in the area, working with schools, spending locally with suppliers and supporting community projects.”

The Burnhope scheme is the second housing development to be delivered in partnership with local contractor T. Manners, following the recently launched site at Portland Avenue in Seaham. Further schemes are planned as part of the council’s commitment to helping to meet the demand for affordable, high-quality housing across County Durham.

The £7.5 million development has been supported by Homes England funding, from the Affordable Homes Programme, and the Brownfield Land Release Fund.

Once complete, the 32 homes will be advertised through Durham Key Options. A local lettings policy will be put in place to give priority to local people who live, work or have close family in the Burnhope area.

Work has started on the development of disused land which will see the construction of more than 30 new council houses as part of a programme to deliver 500 affordable properties for residents.

The Portland Avenue Housing Development Scheme in Seaham, is part of a much larger site which was included in a joint venture partnership between Durham County Council and Homes England, focused on bringing forward a comprehensive development in the area.

It is hoped the 33 new properties will address the high demand for homes in the town while bolstering the number of affordable houses being constructed across the county. All the properties will be highly energy efficient, achieving an EPC A rating to help cut bills.

Benefitting from a grant from the government’s Affordable Homes Programme, the houses are being developed by constructor T Manners & Sons, based in Bishop Auckland.

The land was the site of a residential development in the late 1980s and early 1990s but has since been cleared and is currently public open space.

Cllr Joe Quinn, Durham County Council Cabinet member for resources, investments and assets, said: “We’re happy to see that work is now taking place on this vacant site with the construction of these 33 affordable houses.

“We’re aware that affordable properties are in high demand across the county and hope that this work demonstrates our commitment to meeting that demand. This is just the first development of many that will boost our affordable provisions.”

After having not owned council houses since the disposal of its stock in 2015, the local authority is now planning to build 500 affordable properties over a five-year period and is working with T Manners & Sons to achieve this aim.

The mixture of bungalows and houses will be managed by the council and will be built across the county on land that it already owns. The authority hopes the first properties will be completed by the end of 2026.

Simon Manners, managing director of T Manners & Sons Ltd, said: “We’re delighted to be working on this important project with Durham County Council.

“Start on site for this scheme, as part of the council’s programme to build 500 new homes, is the culmination of over 12 months of work, securing planning approval and working with the council’s project team, to design these high-quality homes.

“Since becoming the council’s delivery partner for this new build programme, the entire T Manners team has been eager to get the first scheme on site, to demonstrate the high quality and partnership working approach that embodies the company.”

Find more information on the delivery of affordable council housing, visit www.durham.gov.uk/CouncilHousing.

A new housing development in the heart of Thornaby has been given a big thumbs-up by one of its first residents.

Thirteen has delivered 37 new two, three and four-bedroom homes for affordable rent on the site of the former Anson House and Hudson House tower blocks.

The £6.8million development, known as Westdale, saw the housing specialist work with local construction contractor, T Manners & Sons Ltd, to build the homes.

And one of the first residents to move in is 83-year-old Dougie Leeming, who is enjoying life in his new bungalow.

“It’s beautiful,” he said. “I love everything about it. I’ve lived in Thornaby all my life and I was over the moon when I heard the news I’d got this new bungalow.

“My last house was too big but this is perfect for me. I can just walk into the town centre in a few minutes.”

Thirteen’s Executive Director of Development and Partnerships, Joy Whinnerah, added: “We’re delighted to be welcoming customers like Dougie to Westdale.

“It’s a really attractive development offering a great mix of high-quality homes right at the heart of the Thornaby community.

“We’d like to thank Homes England and the Tees Valley Combined Authority for their funding contributions to this scheme.

“We’re also grateful for the support we’ve had from Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and local councillors throughout the redevelopment of the site.”

NORTH EASTfamily construction company T Manners & Sons Ltd is celebrating after being named as one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the North East.

The prestigious Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 Awards, in association with The Journal, celebrate growth, innovation and the commercial achievements of North East businesses.

Based on financial data filed with Companies House, the list ranks the 50 best performing companies which have consistently increased turnover over the past three financial years, whilst remaining profitable. 

With five divisions including construction, specialist joinery, small works, fire doors and mechanical, T Manners, based in Bishop Auckland, was ranked in the top 50 after a string of varied projects, and winning contracts including a partnership to help deliver hundreds of new council houses in the North East, as part of a £100m investment by Durham County Council.

Simon Manners, Managing Director of T Manners, said: “We’re thrilled to be named in the top 50 fastest growing Nort East companies. This is testament to the hard work and commitment of the full T Manners team, who work really hard to not just deliver a great, quality service and product but to do it in as much of a sustainable and responsible way as possible.

“Thank you to all our clients and partners, who have helped us reach this amazing accolade and we hope to keep working with you to not just grow as a business, but to keep on helping with development and growth across the North East.”

Damien Charlton, head of the commercial team at Ward Hadaway’s Newcastle office, said:

“We are proud to celebrate T Manners & Sons as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the North East. Its continued expansion and steady profitability over the past three years clearly reflects its commitment to innovation and hard work. We congratulate them on this achievement and look forward to their future successes.

“This year’s awards emphasise the innovative vision and execution of businesses across the North East, showing how companies like T Manners have not only overcome challenges but also thrived. The Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 Awards serve to motivate and inspire other regional businesses to pursue similar success and growth.”

A FAMILY-OWNED construction company has won a contract to help deliver hundreds of new council houses in the North East, as part of a £100m investment.

T Manners & Sons Ltd has been chosen by Durham County Council as its delivery partner in its plan to build 500 properties, a mix of bungalows and houses that will be truly affordable and let on secure tenancies.

The Bishop Auckland-based company, which is more than 160 years old and directly employs 70 people, has a wealth of experience building new homes for affordable rent, shared ownership and sale with a range of different partners.

Simon Manners, Managing Director of T Manners, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to work alongside Durham County Council as delivery partner in its house building programme.

“As a County Durham based SME specialising in the delivery of affordable housing, we are extremely well placed to create not just the homes which will make such a difference to people’s lives, but also jobs and the wider economic growth this contract will provide.

“The framework contract will be a catalyst for the continued sustainable growth of the business, and the whole team within T Manners is excited about working with Durham County Council.”

Cllr James Rowlandson, the council’s Cabinet member for resources, investments and assets, said: “We are in the midst of a national housing crisis. Not enough properties are being built to meet demand – including the need for affordable housing – and many families are struggling financially in the wake of the recent spikes in inflation and interest rates.

“County Durham is no different to the rest of the country in that regard and that is why we have taken up the government’s invitation for councils to address the shortage.

“We are looking to deliver 500 properties across County Durham, with a mix of bungalows and houses, for the benefit of local people and those in housing need.

“This programme will see an investment in the county of around £100m – a significant boost for our economy. It will protect existing jobs and create new jobs in the construction industry, and associated supply chain.

“In keeping with our County Durham Pound project, the ability to drive long-term social, economic and environmental benefits, or social value, is fundamentally important to us. It’s great therefore to be working in partnership with a locally owned family business to deliver this ambitious programme, which will make a significant difference to those in housing need across the county.

“We look forward to announcing more details of this exciting programme as the sites we are planning to develop progress.”

The council disposed of its housing stock in 2015 to County Durham Housing Group, now Believe Housing.

In recent times, the number of affordable homes built in County Durham has not matched the identified need – 836 houses per year.

In the five years between 2017/18 and 2021/22, the number of new affordable homes delivered (2,647) was 36.7 per cent below the number needed (4,180).

The council’s new programme will see homes built mainly on land already in the authority’s ownership.

Work is well underway at our Tanfield Road site, in Hartlepool, where we are building affordable homes for rent.  The project includes seventeen two-bedroom bungalows, of which two properties are wheelchair-friendly.

Before starting the North Star Housing Development, the site had to be cleared, involving the demolition of a former garden centre, cafe and greenhouses.

Progress over the last few weeks has been good. Substructure works including the masonry below DPC, block and beam ground floors and structural screeds are well under way. The superstructure works have also begun on some plots.

The development was unanimously backed by local councillors who agreed it will bring much-needed bungalows into the town’s housing stock. Supported by Homes England, North Star is investing £3.2m in the project which is focused on the needs of the community.

All the bungalows will have private rear gardens and parking and are light and thermally efficient, with some featuring electric car charging.  The units will be available at an affordable rent to people aged over 55 and the site will include communal planting within the courtyard development.

We are proud to be partnering North Star, HMH Architects, Billinghurst George & Partners and RNJ Partnership LLP to inject new life into this brownfield site.

There’s fantastic T Manners teamwork at our Gosforth Civic Theatre site where three of our Divisions are playing integral roles in the project – our Construction Division is the principal contractor, our Mechanical Division is delivering the plumbing, ventilation, ductwork and sanitaryware, with our Joinery Division crafting the timber bar which is surfaced with Corian counter tops.

The interior is really taking shape now and the scene is almost set for the theatre to unveil its new single-storey extension to increase capacity for community activities and office space.  The works have included external treatment to the auditorium, with cladding and rendering to the elevations, as well as adding electrical vehicle charging points and free-standing secure storage for six bikes. The space has been reconfigured and enhanced with layout changes and a new main entrance lobby, lounge and office space. In addition, new WCs, showers and changing rooms have been installed.  In the lounge/café area there is a stunning pitched roof with timber panelling, with wide expanses of glass flooding the space with light.

As the project is nearing completion, we look forward to sharing some more progress shots with you soon.