Darlington council agrees Burtree garden village joint venture

Darlington Borough Council will partner with Esh Homes Limited to drive the development of the Burtree Garden Village. 

The partnership will provide the infrastructure, build and sale of homes at the site under the company name of High Faverdale Park JV Limited. 

The Burtree development, in Faverdale, will ultimately see 2,000 new homes built over 20 years. (Image: Hellens Group)

It comes after an agreement in March 2025 to enter into an Infrastructure Development Agreement with Homes England for the construction and adoption of a spine road over the council’s land at Faverdale. 

With the infrastructure works now nearing completion, the Joint Venture Company will purchase land to deliver new homes. 

Planning permission has recently been obtained for 130 houses on the site. 

The Burtree development, in Faverdale, will ultimately see 2,000 new homes built over 20 years. 

A new school, community centre, pub, and health facilities are also proposed. It will be built on old farmland near Burtree Lane, Faverdale Industrial Estate, and the A68. 

The development will be built on old farmland near Rotary Way, Faverdale Industrial Estate, and the A68.

The Joint Venture Company will be fully funded by the council through prudential borrowing of up to £8.382 million. 

A second garden village, Skerningham, will also be built in Darlington over the next few decades. It is due to cover 487 hectares to the north of Darlington and will adjoin the existing communities at Beaumont Hill, Whinfield and Great Burdon.