Northumberland MP Emma Foody visits New Hartley’s Church Fields housing development

During the visit to Barratt Homes’ Church Fields development, MP Emma Foody received a tour of the properties available for local residents to purchase, areas that are under construction, and the community that has been built.

The main motivation for the visit was to understand more about the housebuilding adoption process for new build estates.

Emma and the team discussed ways in which the adoption process can be sped up and improved, as well as the importance of skills within the construction sector as a whole.

Emma was also keen to understand what contributions Barratt Homes has made to benefit the local area surrounding the development.

This included Church Fields’s contribution of £160k to highway improvements, £170k for coastal protection and £3k donation made to New Hartley Memorial Hall to support the refurbishment of its upstairs space.

Emma commented: “I was pleased to meet with the Barratt Homes team at Church Fields and discuss ways in which the housebuilding adoption process can be improved, which is of crucial importance to the local area.

“I appreciated seeing the development in action, and to witness first-hand the community that has been built. I look forward to seeing how Church Fields will continue to develop.”

Carl Sobolewski, managing director for Barratt Homes North East, added: “We were honoured to welcome MP Emma Foody to Church Fields.

“With more than 70% of the homes now sold, we look forward to welcoming new residents into its thriving community, as we work to provide much-needed quality housing to the area."