More than half of the new homes on a multi-million pound development in Telford expected to be sold this year have been snapped up in the first three months.

Bryant Homes chiefs said sales were strong and they had already sold 65 per cent of the eco-friendly homes at the Telford Millennium Community in Ketley which they had aimed to sell by the end of the year.

Developers said The Village, a 700-home development off Holyhead Road, had seen a sales boom – bucking the national downturn in the housing market. They said the popularity of the “green homes” was down to the fact the development was one of only seven Millennium communities in the UK.

The communities aim to offer “best practice in social and environmental sustainability”.

Carol Edwards, sales and marketing director, said: “The eco-status of the homes and the green initiatives on site definitely appeal to buyers and they tell us it means a lot they’ll be doing their little bit for the environment.

“Every property at The Village has an EcoHomes ‘excellent’ rating and this will reduce metered energy consumption and mains water consumption by 20 per cent, plus improve on daylighting and noise proofing by 10 per cent.”

Bryant Homes said The Village was also popular because residents could have their say on how the development was maintained, through a community trust system that places maintenance decisions in the hands of those who live there.

Mrs Edwards said: “Despite the current trend, both visitor levels and sales here have been really encouraging – and we remain cautiously optimistic because the desire to buy a new-build home is still there, plus more sustainable price levels and lowest ever interest rates give us confidence in the affordability of new homes.”