Nearly 100 more homes pitched for former Green Belt land
ATHIRD housing estate could be built on former Green Belt land in Widnes. It was reported recently how developer Redrow planned to build nearly 500 properties in the north of the town, with 441 earmarked for Mill Green Lane and a further 52 on land near South Lane.
Now another developer, Prospect Homes, is putting together a planning application for 99 homes at Abbey Farm, also off South Lane.
The estate would include a children’s play area and landscaping, with a mix of property sizes.
The company said 20 of the homes would be classed as affordable.
The area where all three developments are planned was previously in the Green Belt – a buffer area where construction was restricted to protect against over development.
But in March councillors voted to remove it from the Green Belt and earmark it instead for housing when they rubber-stamped Halton’s new Delivery and Allocations Local Plan (DALP) - a document which sets out the borough’s planning strategy up to 2037.
Prospect is now asking for views of residents with the aim of submitting a full planning application in the summer.
If rubber-stamped, the first homes would be occupied in summer 2025.
In its consultation documents, the company said: “Given that the principle of residential development here has been set by the newly adopted Local Plan, we are specifically seeking views on the design of the proposal including the layout, landscaping and materials to use.
“However, all comments will be welcomed and reviewed.”
The company said it will be approaching local councillors for comment on Friday, May 6, now that the 2022 local elections are over.
The latest news comes after Morris Homes submitted plans for 151 properties on farmland between Chester Road and the M56 in Preston Brook near Runcorn , Cheshire.
If all four developments are given the green light, it would mean almost 750 new homes being built on agricultural land across Halton since Green Belt protections were removed.
Consultation responses on the latest development can be sent to Manchester@bartonwillmore.co.uk