Esh advances Karbon’s Seaham Garden Village housing

More than 200 affordable homes are now under construction at the County Durham development, as the contractor marks a year on site.

Working in partnership with affordable housing developer Karbon Homes, Esh Construction started work on the first phase of the 750-home Seaham Garden Village last year, and has now progressed onto two further phases.

The affordable homes on the 193-acre scheme, located on the A182 going into Seaham town centre, will also use one of the UK’s first large-scale mine water heat projects.

In phase one of the scheme, 72 homes have been built to roof height, while phases two and three will see 84 and 57 homes respectively built across the development.

The first four showhomes are closing in on opening, with the first 12 homes expected to be handed over to Karbon this summer.

Mark Binns, operations director at Esh Construction, said: “We’re proud of the progress we have made on site since we broke ground 12 months ago. Working closely with Karbon Homes we are not just constructing houses but developing a forward-thinking and community-focused development.

“The development is a flagship project, not just for Esh but the entire region. Bringing together innovation and sustainability, Seaham Garden Village will set a benchmark for residential development.”

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Homes built within phase one and two will consist of a mix of family homes and flats, a number of which will be available for social rent and affordable rent, with the remained available for affordable home ownership through Rent to Buy.

Billed as an ultra-low carbon solution, the mine water heating network initiative is being led by Durham County Council, the Mining Remediation Authority and Karbon Homes and will harness geothermal heat from disused coal mines.

The scheme will also benefit from technologies such as solar PV panels.

Seaham Garden Village will include a new primary school, convenience retail and health and wellbeing facilities. Almost 50% of the development will be dedicated to managed green space and a range of landscapes and spaces, with over three miles of landscaped paths and cycle routes.

Show homes will be open soon. Credit: Esh Group

The 750 homes delivered by Karbon Homes make up half of the 1,500 homes that are due to be built on the garden village through the next 10 years.

Zoey Hawthorne, assistant director of development delivery at Karbon Homes, said: “It’s great to see the first phase of new homes at Seaham taking shape and we look forward to welcoming our first residents this summer. Esh has been a fantastic construction partner, and we’re pleased to be continuing to work with the team as we move on to phase two.

“As our flagship scheme, Seaham Garden Village is an excellent example of what collaborative working can achieve, utilising new technologies to deliver homes of the future, available for both rent and affordable home ownership.”

The delivery of Seaham Garden Village is supported by funding from Homes England, through Karbon’s strategic partnership with the government’s housing delivery agency.

Alongside the affordable housing scheme, another 750 homes are being developed by national housebuilders Taylor Wimpey and Miller Homes for market sale within the Garden Village, while Bellway has a 149-home scheme in the works for a nearby site.