Work is set to begin on an exclusive new housing development in the heart of the County Durham countryside.

Five star housebuilder, Miller Homes, will start construction on new homes at Deerness Rise, Ushaw Moor, in the coming weeks, after the business secured the prime 21-acre site on the outskirts of the village, just over six miles from stunning Durham City.

The development will bring significant benefits to the community, notably the substantial refurbishment of St Luke’s Church Hall, which overlooks the proposed development site.

Miller Homes will replace the kitchen, toilet, improve the heating system, lay new flooring and upgrade the front door of the building before decorating it throughout.

The housebuilder will also make St Luke’s Hall its “home”, setting up a base there at the end of July until a permanent on-site sales office is complete.

Comprising a mixture of three, four and five-bedroom homes, the 158-home development will be named Deerness Rise, paying homage to its location in the Deerness Valley and overlooking the River Deerness.

Located a short hop from Durham City and with direct access to the rolling County Durham countryside, the development will help meet increasing demand for homes in the Durham area and is expected to prove popular with house hunters.

Lauren Angus, Sales Director of Miller Homes North East, said: “This is a superb site with fantastic views in a much sought-after countryside location which is also just a 10-minute drive the beautiful city of Durham.

“Like all Miller Homes developments, Deerness Rise is being designed to respect and enhance the surrounding area. Its location on the outskirts of the village reduces any visual impact for current residents and will turn a patch of agricultural land into a vibrant new community, offering buyers fantastic views across the Deerness Valley.

“Projects like this also enable us to give back to people in Ushaw Moor and our work to upgrade elements of St Luke’s will mean that we will enhance this valuable community asset and hopefully enable generations of village residents to enjoy it for years to come.”

Peter Whitton, who acts as one of the custodians of St Luke’s Church, said: “We are delighted to work with Miller Homes and secure these upgrades to our church hall, the upkeep of which can be a real challenge.

“Everyone at St. Luke’s is pleased to offer Miller Homes the use of the hall, which has refurbished the facility and will provide a fitting point to welcome potential buyers and new residents to Ushaw Moor while the company’s show home is under construction.”

Deerness Rise is the latest in a string of developments being delivered across the North East by Miller Homes, with developments also currently underway in Seaham, South Shields, Durham and Sunderland, with more to follow over the coming months.

Lauren added: “Miller Homes is investing more in the North East of England this year than ever before and Deerness Rise will hopefully be the latest development in our portfolio that is creating the quality, modern homes people are looking for.

“From north Northumberland to southern County Durham, we are helping alleviate the region’s housing shortage while creating great communities where people prosper, and with more developments in the pipeline, it promises to be a stellar year for the business.”

For more information on Miller Homes, visit: https://www.millerhomes.co.uk/