Construction firms wins contract to help deliver £100 million housing project

T Manners & Sons Ltd is set to help deliver hundreds of new council houses in the North East, as part of a £100 million investment.

The Bishop Auckland-based firm will work alongside Durham County Council to build 500 properties, a mix of bungalows and houses that will be affordable and let on secure tenancies.

Simon Manners, T Manners’ managing director said: “As a County Durham based SME specialising in the delivery of affordable housing, we are extremely well placed to create not just the homes which will make such a difference to people’s lives, but also jobs and the wider economic growth this contract will provide.

“The framework contract will be a catalyst for the continued sustainable growth of the business, and the whole team within T Manners is excited about working with Durham County Council.”

In recent times, the number of affordable homes built in County Durham has not matched the identified need – 836 houses per year.

Councillor James Rowlandson, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for resources, investments and assets, said: “We are in the midst of a national housing crisis.

“Not enough properties are being built to meet demand – including the need for affordable housing – and many families are struggling financially in the wake of the recent spikes in inflation and interest rates.

“County Durham is no different to the rest of the country in that regard and that is why we have taken up the government’s invitation for councils to address the shortage.

“In keeping with our County Durham Pound project, the ability to drive long-term social, economic and environmental benefits, or social value, is fundamentally important to us.

“It’s great therefore to be working in partnership with a locally owned family business to deliver this ambitious programme, which will make a significant difference to those in housing need across the county.

“We look forward to announcing more details of this exciting programme as the sites we are planning to develop progress.”