THE task of officially opening Bellway's new show homes on its Clifford Gardens development, in Skipton, was ably carried out by the town's junior cricketers who performed the VIP ribbon cutting.

The Sandylands club was nominated for the job following an appeal for local heroes to open the show homes rather than a local dignitary or minor celebrity. Melanie Smith, Bellway Yorkshire’s sales director, said: “We’re all about building communities and in any community there are local heroes who deserve recognition. And for anyone moving to Clifford Gardens, Skipton Cricket Club is likely to play some part in their lives – whether it’s playing, watching or enjoying a drink in the new Skipton Community Sports Hub being built at the ground and due to open ahead of the start of next season.”

“As such, when we heard the club’s junior cricketers has been nominated as our local heroes we jumped at the chance for them to come down resplendent in their club whites.” Skipton CC has 13 junior teams, ranging from U9s up to U18s, and was recently named Upper Airedale Junior Cricket Association development club of the year. The club also has four senior sides, including a woman’s team that recently completed its first ever season.

In addition, the club also runs ECB All Star and Dynamo programmes in the summer, meaning it offers cricket to everyone from 5-years old upwards. Malcolm Birks, club chairman, said: “We’re all very excited about the new Bellway development on our doorstep as hopefully it opens the door for an influx of new members to join the club. And as with any grassroots sports club, we’re always on the look out for players, coaches and volunteers to help things run smoothly.”

Being built on a 16.5-acre site off Skipton’s Carleton Road, Clifford Gardens features a strong mix of different home types and sizes, including two, three, four and five-bedroom homes. Prices currently range from £279,995 for a three-bed semi-detached Bempton to £544,995 for four-bed detached Sandringham with a double garage.