MORE than 50 per cent of the newest properties at the £22m Marlborough Park development have been snapped up after a record opening two weeks – and new residents include Swindon Town stars.

The 31 home Crescent building in Piper’s Way is the latest sales launch by developer Places for People and opened to the public two weeks ago.

There are only 15 properties left after strong demand from people wanting to step onto the property ladder.

Most of the Crescent properties have two bedrooms, en suites and two balconies, while the four bedroom maisonette and the penthouse apartment boast sun terraces and floor to ceiling windows.

The development has even proved popular amongst the town’s top footballers as several Town players were amongst the new homeowners moving in this week. The area is just a few minutes drive from the County Ground and has easy access to the M4 – and enjoying the Park life are Robins Tommy Miller, Gary Roberts and Paul Benson.

Tom Mahood, sales manager at Places for People said: “To sell over half of the properties in the first two weeks in the current challenging economic climate is a real testament to the quality of the homes and innovative design at Marlborough Park.”

One person who has just bought a new home at the Crescent is Danielle Kottnauer.

She said: “I had been renting and had always wanted to step onto the property ladder, but could never find the right place until I saw Marlborough Park.

“It is close to everything – there are shops, cafes and leisure facilities nearby. I am looking forward to putting down roots at Marlborough Park for years to come.”

Earlier this year, the development won a top national award.The nine-phase construction project, which started in early 2009 and is set to be completed in five years, will eventually feature 615 homes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to large houses.

Phase one comprises a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom apartments, as well as two, three and four-bedroom homes.

Back in May, the development scooped a best large development award in the national First Time Buyer Awards, which is organised by the national trade magazine First Time Buyer.

Developer Places for People has also been named as Best Landlord at the RESI Awards, another industry competition, for its practices at Marlborough Park and elsewhere.

Elliott Stiling, group sales director, said: “We’ve put a lot of effort into both the development here and how we treat tenants and clients. So to win these awards is quite an accolade.”