A former quarry that had become a no go area for developers has been turned into a lucrative new homes 'joint venture', through an unusual First City approach.

When the Darby's Hill Quarry in Tividale, Warley, became exhausted, the owners Tarmac, carried out careful landfill and restoration. The site was partly covered in gas collection pipework but the former quarry was at the heart of an established residential area, the hillside site soon became an undesirable mecca for local youngsters and was also used by motorcyclists.

Today Darby's Hill is the location of a new homes development based on an unusual joint venture between Bellway Homes and Tarmac - thanks to the imaginative thinking of First City, which overcame the problems inherent in this 'brownfield' site.

The joint venture between Bellway and Tarmac has proved highly successful with homes at Darby's Hill selling well and producing an excellent return from land that could easily have been 'written off'.