Transatlantic law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) has advised a regional developer on its latest project set to create 1,500 new homes on the North East coast.

The firm has supported Karbon Homes with its acquisition and development agreements for the Seaham Garden Village project in County Durham.

The £131m GDV development will create 1,500 new homes in the coastal town, which sits just off the A19, as well as a new village centre for the local community.

Karbon Homes has partnered with Taylor Wimpey & Miller to deliver the new development, which forms a large part of Karbon’s delivery requirements for their strategic partner status with Homes England. 750 homes will be developed for private sale by Miller Homes and Taylor Wimpey and the remaining 750 homes will be of mixed tenure including rent to buy, shared ownership and affordable rent options.

WBD has advised Karbon on the full scope of legal support required for this project, which includes site acquisition and development agreements; framework agreement with Tolent for the delivery of the homes; VAT and SDLT advice  (including working alongside KPMG on complex VAT structuring); advising on existing and proposed planning consents including variations of planning agreements;  advising on project agreements for innovative mine water heat solutions; and providing procurement and capital funding guide advice and support.

Tom Willows, partner at WBD’s Newcastle office, commented: “I am delighted to have been part of the team working on this flagship project for Karbon Homes.

“The Seaham Garden Village development will create new homes, community spaces and amenities for locals, and will be a welcome boost for the town’s economy.

“WBD’s expertise across a wide range of disciplines, including Real Estate, Construction, Planning and Tax, have enabled us to holistically and thoroughly support Karbon Homes with this exciting project.”

Sarah Robson, Director of Development and Regeneration at Karbon, said: “The Seaham Garden Village is an exciting project and will deliver much needed new homes and create a vibrant new community. WBD have provided excellent support in getting to this stage with the project and their ability to pull together multiple complex work streams to help the parties to deliver this outcome has been invaluable”.