THE regeneration of a Darlington estate has taken another step forward with detailed plans for more new homes being submited for approval.

Haslam Homes and Barratts have applied to Darlington Borough Council to build 90 homes on the site of the former Firthmoor Primary School.

The developers want to build two, three and four-bedroom detached and semi-detached homes.

Richard Bath, regional land manager for Haslam Homes, said the school development would take the total number of new houses being built on the estate to almost 500.

About 325 houses on the 1,500-house council estate were demolished to make way for the new homes, which Haslam Homes and Barratts started building in March last year.

Mr Bath said: "The development at the former school is a continuation of what we are already building at Firthmoor. The homes will be two or two-and-a-half-storey houses, which are part of the overall redevelopment of the area."

The development already has outline planning permission from Darlington Borough Council, and the latest application is for the detailed proposals.

Mr Bath said: "These houses will look very similar to the other houses we are already building in that area and will also be private houses, for sale.

"We still have quite a lot of work to do down there, so although the application is in now it might be a while before we get started on the school site, possibly up to 12 months."

Youngsters moved from the old school in Highmoor Road into a new £2m primary school nearby in January last year.

The site was used temporarily by Middleton St George Primary School after it was forced out of its premises by a fire. Once the village school was repaired pupils moved back and the Firthmoor site was cleared.

As well as new houses and primary school, a new community centre has been built as part of the regeneration.