More new homes for college site
A HOUSING development to be built at the mothballed Riverside College campus in Runcorn is poised to grow by 24 units to 144 houses in total.
Developers already have outline permission for 120 properties at the Percival Lane site but have now applied to expand the project and are seeking full planning permission for the remaining units.
Halton Borough Council gave the green light to the initial bid to build 120 homes in 2016.
Countryside Properties, the developers behind the scheme, wants to build a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses on the disused college site on Percival Lane.
Access will be from Old Coach Road and Campus Drive.
Aerial layout plans show the homes would have gardens and front driveways. A transport assessment filed with the plans said the site is approximately 600 metres from Runcorn station, with the nearest bus stop 540 metres away and situated next to the rail hub.
It added that the location is within a five-kilometre shortcycling distance within a range ● encompassing Runcorn, Widnes and Hale.
Prior to outline permission being granted in 2016, concerns were raised that the properties could be exposed to pollution due to expected increases in industrial cargo traffic on the nearby Manchester Ship Canal and at Runcorn Docks.
There had also been calls for the college to be redeveloped as a hotel or the land to be turned into a marina.
The college has been vacant for about four years.
Public consultation is open until May 3, with a decision due around July 10.
Send comments to the Halton Council, quoting planning reference 18/00174/FUL.