Latest Press Releases

A local independent school in Consett is helping its pupils build for the future, offering brick laying qualifications following a donation of bricks from a regional builder. Delta Independent School is an alternative provision dedicated to supporting young people who, for one reason or another, have not found success in mainstream education. Adding to its growing curriculum offer - which...

Previously, when driving through the beautiful Northumbrian countryside on the A697 north of Longframlington, you will have passed an old scar from our industrial past. Located near Thrunton, Swarland Brickworks, as it was called, was built in the 1930s. It closed in 2010 and had remained derelict and unused following a fire 12 years ago. The site is now being redeveloped into a new community of...

A Consett based business is building, after opening the doors to its new purpose-built Coffee Bar & Kitchen at Regents Park in the town in March this year. Sweet Things Coffee, Bar and Kitchen were one of four business to move into Amethyst Homes retail units at its established Regents Park housing development. Since opening its doors, Sweet Things has gone from strength to strength,...

A Scottish based offsite manufacturing business has strengthened its team with the appointment of a new Head of Sales for Scotland and England. Eoghainn Mitchell, 38, from Dunfermline, joins Kirkwood Timber Frame, bringing over a decade of experience in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) sales, and building development - most recently working for one of the country’s largest timber frame...

A Sheffield regeneration partnership is delivering 98 new affordable homes in the Manor area of the city. The mixed tenure properties - including homes for affordable rent and shared ownership - are being built across three sites by Sheffield Housing Company (SHC). The Council is purchasing 47 homes at Corker Bottoms, just off Harborough Road, comprising a selection of two, three and four...

Planning has been approved for the delivery of 59 new homes in Guide Post, South East Northumberland, part of a wider development of over 100 new homes. Consett based Amethyst Homes will start work on the first phase of development this summer, which will include 59, two, three and four bedroomed detached and semi-detached properties. Richard Bass, Managing Director at Amethyst Homes said: “It...

A community initiative is providing children in Scotswood with access to reading books. Established by North East charity Healthworks - in collaboration with Scotswood Village Nursery and the National Literacy Trust - the project has created a library at the nursery with over 50 children’s books that students can take home. Lisa Conroy, Health Promotion Team Lead with Healthworks, explains: "Not...

A Scottish based offsite manufacturing business - capable of delivering up to 2,000 timber frame structures per year – has recruited two new staff, as it extends its geographic reach. Kirkwood Timber Frame welcomes two County Durham natives - Antony Bayles, 47, from West Auckland, as Technical Sales Manager and Morgan Howe, age 27, from Bishop Auckland, as Contracts Supervisor, for England and...

A regeneration partnership which has created more than 1,500 new homes on 17 sites across Sheffield, has hit a new milestone. Alan and Karen Atkinson, 71 and 67 respectively, have become Sheffield Housing Company's (SHC) 1,500th buyers - moving into their new two bedroomed property at Malthouses (Becket Hill). The couple, who have been married 51 years, have returned to the area where they spent...

Business is building in Consett, County Durham, an area once synonymous with the steel industry, with two new companies opening their doors. The last two of four retail units, built by Amethyst Homes - at its Regents Park development - are now occupied by Billet Mill Convenience Store and Sweet Things Café, which join the established Social Butterflies – a purpose-built play cafe for age 0-6...

Sheffield Housing Company (SHC), a joint venture development company between Sheffield City Council, Keepmoat and Great Places, has delivered much-needed affordable properties at the popular Pennine Village site - located only two miles from the city centre. The partnership, charged with delivering 2,300 properties on a total of 23 Sheffield sites by the end of 2026, has agreed the sale of homes...

Megan Mollon, 26 and her partner Michael Hall, 25, have moved to pastures new - buying a house on land where she has grazed her horses! The couple have photos and memories of Bella stood in the same spot where the garden now sits, at Amethyst Homes’ The Pastures development in East Sleekburn. Megan, who works in childcare, said: “I know East Sleekburn well, so we were thrilled when we heard that...

A trio of school leavers are upskilling, taking on traineeships with an Aberdeenshire based timber frame specialist. Cameron Forbes, 18, Harrison Brodie, 18 and Gabe Taylor 16, all from Sauchen have joined Kirkwood Timber Frame as Factory Operatives. Alan Little, Factory Operations Manager said: “It has been great to welcome the lads to the factory team and to see their personal and professional...

Young people from Scotswood have been enjoying an historic health boost, thanks to a community project. The pupils - from Bridgewater Primary School and Scotswood Village Nursery - have been learning about local history through sessions encouraging exercise and healthy eating. These have included space hopper jousting and lessons about foods from the past. The activities have been run in...

A land deal has been completed that will pave the way for 111 new homes in Guide Post, South East Northumberland. The acquisition, by Consett based housebuilder Amethyst Homes, means that the planning application can now be brought forward for the site, which is located just off the A1068. It is part of a larger redevelopment area between the settlements of Choppington and Guide Post. A minor...

A teenager from Fawdon, Newcastle, has success in his ‘site’ having recently been promoted from apprentice to Trainee Site Manager (TSM). Tyler Mudie, 19, was trained by the National House Building Council (NHBC) at the NHBC Training Hub, located at New Tyne West Development Company’s (NTWDC) The Rise, Scotswood, over the course of 14 to 18 months. As part of his NHBC training, Tyler was able to...

A donation of £5,000 is helping a community get active, build strength and make new friends. Residents at Benedict Court are benefitting from sessions which focus on movement and physical activity, organised by The Foundation of Light. The sessions have been funded by Vistry North East, part of Vistry Group - the UK’s leading provider of mixed tenure homes, which is building 265 new homes at...

As the country marks National Apprenticeship Week #NAW2025, (10th to 16th February) Graduate Apprentice Accountant, Calum Burr, is adding value to the Kirkwood Timber Frame team. Calum, 18 and from Stonehaven, joined Kirkwood at the beginning of September 2024, as part of his Graduate Apprenticeship scheme delivered by Robert Gordon University. Under the direction of Finance Director, Michael...

A nursery in Scotswood, Newcastle, has seen its provision bolstered by the donation of equipment for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The donation of resources has been made by New Tyne West Development Company (NTWDC) – the partnership behind The Rise development nearby. It will enable Scotswood Village Nursery to meet the needs of the children through the use of...

A deal has been agreed between Vistry Group, the UK’s leading provider of mixed tenure homes and registered housing provider, Beyond Housing, that will see 106 new sustainable and affordable homes built in Stockton. Of these, 75 homes will be made available for social rent and 31 for shared ownership. Vistry North East, which is part of Vistry Group, will construct the new homes to be owned and...

A Scottish based offsite manufacturing business - capable of delivering up to 2,000 timber frame structures per year - has made a key appointment, recruiting a Factory Operations Manager. Alan Little, 50 and from just outside Kintore, Aberdeenshire, replaces the recently retired factory manager, joining growing Kirkwood Timber Frame, as it extends its geographic reach and operations beyond...

The partnership behind the housing led regeneration of 10 sites across Gateshead, has launched a new construction skills academy. The new facility, located at the Gateshead Regeneration Partnership’s (GRP) Freight Village development, just off St James Road, will offer construction skills training courses and educational opportunities for hundreds of children, young people and unemployed...

Work has begun on the second of two new housing schemes, transforming the quality and choice of homes across Gateshead. A development of 49 family homes is to be built by Gateshead Regeneration Partnership (GRP), on the site of the former Hookergate School, at High Spen. All will be available for open market sale and the project is also supporting the development of new affordable housing...

Two local organisations supporting communities in the north and south east of Sheffield, have seen their services enhanced by a £60,000 donation. After providing £20,000 of funds in both 2022 and 2023 - which helped support projects with Manor and Castle Development Trust (MCDT) and SOAR Community - Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) has donated a further £20,000 this year, enabling the...

Amethyst Homes has been teeing off for charity, raising £500 for local hospice, Willow Burn. As part of the Dysart Group of Companies Annual Golf Day, 12 teams including teams from Dysart, Absolute Civil Engineering, Amethyst Homes took part in the 18-hole competition at Slaley Hall Golf Club in Northumberland. Overall victors on the day were DJMS Solicitors, but the true winners were Willow...

A high-profile prestige project in the centre of Sunderland, has reached another key milestone. Plans for the re-development of the former Sunderland Civic Centre building were revealed in March 2021, as part of the council's move to new premises on the former Vaux site, just north of the city centre, in November that year.Permission was granted to Vistry North East, part of the Vistry Group, to...

The structural timber industry holds a 22% market share of the UK housing sector, but England lags behind when compared with the 90% share it enjoys in Scotland. In recent weeks, Kirkwood Timber Frame’s sales team has been speaking with English customers, to try and understand the concerns that may exist towards timber frame south of the border. We hoped to uncover some of the beliefs held by...

Work in now underway on a development in Spennymoor, County Durham, which will see 187 mixed tenure homes created. Vistry North East - part of the Vistry Group - is delivering the project, comprising two, three and four bedroomed properties on an 18-acre site, just off Whitworth Road. And a deal has now been agreed, which will see one of the region’s largest not-for-profit housing associations -...

A North East housebuilder is strengthening its team by appointing a new buyer. Blane Carr, 44, from Blyth joins Amethyst Homes, which has increased its workforce from just three to 25 in the past decade. His new role includes materials purchasing and plant hire for Amethyst’s construction sites in Consett, Newcastle and south east Northumberland. Blane’s interest in construction began during a...

Vistry Group, the UK’s leading provider of affordable mixed tenure homes, has been 'bedding in' to support a community food growing project. Vistry North East worked with a Community Interest Company, In Harmony Food Revolution (IHFR), on their Growing in Harmony project, in Kirkleatham. With support from its contractors, Tees Valley Exteriors and HMH Civils, Vistry provided materials and time...

Building more homes, more quickly than its regional rivals, Vistry North East is eying a record breaking year. Targeting 800 new properties across 15 sites, from Morpeth in the north to Guisborough in the south, the business is confident of passing £150 million turnover for the first time and continuing this growth trajectory into future years. Key to this success are partnerships with housing...

A Northeast developer is building its team to coincide with the launch of its latest development. David Carr, 37 and from Newcastle joins the team as a New Homes Sales Advisor at the developer’s Vallum Heights in Newcastle. Since his appointment he has secured five reservations at the recently launched site and with the show home now open, demand is expected to rise even further. He brings...

A youth football team saw its annual family fun weekend bolstered by a donation from a nearby housebuilder. Birtley Town Juniors FC received £500 from Linden Homes (part of the Vistry Group) – which is building new three and four bedroomed family homes, at The Cedars development in the town. Steve Minto, Chairman and Treasurer with Birtley Town Juniors, said: “We’d like to thank Linden Homes for...