ram ling ton ▁New ▁Town , ▁built ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁William ▁Le ech ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Bell way ▁developed ▁a ▁substantial ▁house building ▁operation ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁sales ▁reached ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁units ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁with ▁a ▁further ▁ 5 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁Australian ▁and ▁French ▁subs idi aries . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁Bell way ▁moved ▁into ▁the ▁south - east ▁with ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁A ▁& ▁R ▁A ▁S ear le . ▁The ▁group ▁continued ▁to ▁expand ▁through ▁England ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁but ▁its ▁over se as ▁operations ▁were ▁less ▁successful ▁and ▁were ▁eventually ▁closed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁the ▁" B ell way " ▁private ▁house building ▁business ▁was ▁de mer ged ▁from ▁the ▁commercial ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁business ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁Kenneth ▁Bell . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁Bell way ▁and ▁fellow ▁New castle ▁house builder ▁William ▁Le ech ▁announced ▁a ▁mer ger ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁called ▁off ▁within ▁days : ▁" the ▁l ifest yle ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁fir ms ▁looked ▁pretty ▁in compatible ". ▁ ▁D ivers ification ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁wh olly ▁satisf actory ; ▁Ken ▁Bell ▁became ▁largely ▁non - exec utive ▁and ▁the ▁day - to - day ▁running ▁of ▁the ▁business ▁was ▁assumed ▁by ▁Howard ▁Da we . ▁Howard ▁Da we ▁re organ ised ▁the ▁business ,