A HOUSEBUILDER is opening a new office as part of a regional growth plan.

Miller Homes is set to occupy a unit at Aycliffe Business Park, in Newton Aycliffe, which will open in Autumn 2019.

The new office will be a sister office to its regional office in North Shields.

Mark Bayliss – who has been promoted from technical director to operations director at the firm – will head up the new office.

A spokesperson for the company said an initial eight jobs will be created with roles in commercial, sales, land, surveying, construction and technical.

The expansion comes off the back of six new development launches in the first half of the year and is combined with further land investment which will support the region’s target to grow by 400 homes per annum in the next three years.

Patrick Arkle, regional managing director at Miller Homes North-East, said: “Our Teesside regional office is being set up to take advantage of the opportunities that lie midway between our current North-East and Yorkshire regional offices where the local authorities are targeting significant growth in housebuilding.

"This is an exciting development in the growth of Miller Homes here in the North-East and across the group.”

The company was established 85-year-ago and was recently awarded a five star rating by the Home Builders Federation (HBF).

So far this year, the housebuilder has moved into developments in Sunderland, Hazlerigg, Throckley, Hurworth-on-Tees and Callerton and will launch in Corbridge later in the year.

The business is delivering the first phase of a landmark residential scheme as part of the redevelopment of Lambton Park near Chester-le-Street.

Mr Bayliss said: “Building on our presence in the south of the region with the new office is a big step for the company and I’m looking forward to establishing a great team.

"We’re creating jobs and want to hear from talented people looking to progress their career within the housebuilding industry.

“The expansion comes at a time when we are significantly growing our portfolio of developments across the North-East, opening up even more opportunities for buyers which we’ll continue to do.”

Miller Homes’ North-East developments include the paddocks in Longframlington, Shoreland Park in Hadston, Broadoaks in Bedlington and Barley Meadows in Cramlington.

Future developments include development sites at Lambton Park near Chester-le-Street and Roman Fields in Corbridge.