Sales of new homes in Shropshire are on the up despite the recession as buyers turn to builders to help finance the cost of moving, it was revealed today.

Work on developments in the county has picked up since the beginning of the year and both estate agents and builders say they are seeing a rise in the number of inquiries over new homes.

More than 2,000 homes are currently in development in Shropshire, despite some work on some sites stalling at the end of 2008.

But national and local developers say incentive schemes for new buyers and those willing to part-exchange means there could be signs of a recovery for the market in the county.

Guy Scott, project director of the Ironstone Developer Group which is building in Lawley, said: “We have a long way to go until numbers are where we really want them to be, but these early signs of a potential recovery are very encouraging.”

A first-time buyer could move in for just 70 per cent of the price under the HomeBuy Direct scheme, which Barratts operates in conjunction with the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency.

Crest Nicholson, which built homes at Lightmoor Green, said the project has “bucked the credit crunch trend” and has been very successful.

Bosses say homes are being sold at a rate of one per week at Clover Mead, part of the Ironstone development in Lawley.

A Morris Homes development at Saxon Fields in Wem has almost sold out and Shropshire homebuilder David Wilson Homes has also seen a strong sales performance in the last three months.