A new housing company has been launched with plans to build 450 new homes, worth £35 million across the region, including over 400 in Bradford.

Arundale Homes is based in Birstall and is part of the NorthCountry Homes Group.

The firm's commercial manager John Archment is delighted to have secured so much investment.

"Our objective is to build a wide range of two, three and four bedroom detached and semi-detached houses and sell them at prices which local people can affordy," he said.

"We are prepared to look at development sites which others consider to be too difficult to tackle because they are in areas where we believe people want to live.

"There are many towns in North and West Yorkshire where families are keen to buy a new home but they don't want to move far from their roots. We aim to help meet that demand.

Their first development, a scheme of 20 two and three-bedroomed homes at Hadfield Court, Heckmondwike, has already almost sold out.

Sales manager Kaye Wallis said: "The key is variety. Although there are only 20 properties at Hadfield Court, we featured no fewer than seven different house styles.

The next two schemes are in Bradford, at Holme Wood and Buttershaw. The Holme Wood scheme will comprise 185 properties and Buttershaw will have 236 homes.

Mr Archment said that at Holme Wood they had met with the Community Association and had agreed to help improve play areas.

"As well as providing much-needed new homes, we always try to bring some added value to areas where we operate, and it also gives a boost to the local economy," he said.