I live in a fairly new house (about 8 years old) and it's fantastic. They've really carefully thought out the estate and there's a pub, supermarket, community centre (which holds baby groups, toddler groups, adult classes etc), post office, take aways, dentist, vet and primary school all within 5 minutes walk from our front door. Plenty of play spaces around.
My experience is that in general, more and more planning permissions for new houses are dependent on their being adequate facilities nearby - but do check with the builder when you have a look around.
Also, having lived in a brand new flat before, expect to pay a premium for being the first in there (but it is more convenient and less hassle than buying a "second hand" property in a chain - so there's a major advantage). Be aware you'll also have to pay out for bathroom fittings, carpets, curtains etc as you won't have "inherited" there. You may also find the first few months are "teething" times when the builders may have to pop back in and iron out any bugs.
If you get in quick enough, you can usually choose the bathroom & kitchen fittings from their brochures which is great, and even if you don't it's lovely having brand new kitchen & bathrooms (always the most important part of the house imo).
A downside is that gardens tend to be small - so be aware of that. Rooms also tend to be smaller than an older property for equivalent money.
Overall though, I would say go for it. I don't think I could live in an older house again - our previous home was a 60s build and was a money pit.