EXPERTS at a North-East law firm helped to bring a green housing development to the Tees Valley.

Property and public sector lawyers from Ward Hadaway advised Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council on the procurement of a developer for an Eco Village in South Bank, Middlesbrough.

The £3.5m development will see 15 homes built and 11 homes refurbished in Normanby Road, South Bank, by Sunderland-based developer Gentoo Homes.

The two and three-bedroom properties will have a range of eco-friendly energy-saving features, including tripleglazed windows and doors, roof panels to capture solar energy, composting facilities and a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system.

It is thought these green technologies will save householders up to £1,000 a year, while measures on the refurbished properties are expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 75 per cent and cut fuel bills by up to 75 per cent.

These measures will make the Eco Village the first zerocarbon housing development in the borough.

Newcastle-based Ward Hadaway advised the council on matters including the development agreement for the site, negotiations with bidders for the development and the procurement process.

The team working on the development was led by partner Sarah Jones and associate Keith Wilkinson, from Ward Hadaway’s specialist public sector team.

Ms Jones said: “We are delighted to have helped Redcar and Cleveland council’s vision of an environmentallyfriendly, sustainable housing development become a reality.

“The newly-built and refurbished properties are being constructed to the highest environmental standards, which is great news for the planet, as well as for those who will be living inside the homes. That some of the original houses in the street are being retained and refurbished means that the development also holds on to some of the area’s heritage, as well as looking forward to the future.”

Ward Hadaway advised on the project as part of the firm’s contract to provide legal advice to all five Tees Valley local authorities.