Go-ahead for plan to build and sell homes

A LANDMARK decision has been made by West Lancashire Borough Council to approve a scheme for the authority to build houses to be sold.

This project to build 27 homes on the former Westec House site, near the council offices in Derby Street, in Ormskirk, was agreed at the council meeting on Wednesday, December 13.

The site was formerly occupied by Westec House, a council office which was demolished in 2014.

With planning permission already granted and a preferred contractor established, the council hopes to confirm a start date for building soon.

It hopes to have more projects in the future as it plans to form a new development company to help achieve its ambitions for development.

Of the 27 homes to be built on the former Westec House site, 18 will be houses to be put on the open market. These will comprise:

Three two-bedroom terraced houses.

Eight two-bedroom semi-detached houses.

Six three-bedroom semi-detached houses.

One three-bedroom detached house.

Another two-bedroom terraced house will be available for shared ownership.

The other eight homes will be one-bedroom flats to be retained by the council and rented on an affordable basis.

The project will be funded from sources including borrowing and the housing revenue account.

Council leader Cllr Ian Moran said: “This is a really exciting project for the borough that will realise the potential for this site with the building of new homes.

“As well as providing 27 new homes, the scheme will have an extra benefit of bringing in much needed funds for the council.

“Like many other authorities across the country, we are facing difficult financial challenges, and also have to become self-financing by 2020.”