160 new homes planned for former factory site
ADEVELOPER has revealed plans to build 160 new homes on th site of the former Philips factory in Southport.
Landowner Catalyst Capital is now inviting local people to have their say on the scheme, on Balmoral Drive in Crossens.
The huge area is bounded by North Road and Rufford Road and includes other industrial buildings in the area.
The land is identified for housing by Sefton Council under its Local Plan, which also earmarks 220 new homes on farmland on the other side of Bankfield Lane.
A spokesman for estate agent Savills said: “The site can make a valuable contribution to meeting local housing needs, in accordance with council plans for the area.”
The firm adds that the land is a brownfield site which has been “under-utilised for many years” which has been part cleared, with “a small number of commercial buildings remaining”.
Sefton Council is currently in the process of finalising its Local Plan – the council’s blueprint for the borough over the next 20 years – which calls for 11,600 new homes to be built to address local housing shortages.
Savills said the former Philips Factory site is one of the few large brownfield opportunities available to build on.
The plans show over 160 new homes, with a mix of two, three and four bedroom properties.
The firm has not revealed how many of the properties would be affordable homes, but Sefton Council is hoping for a reasonable proportion.
The council, in its Local Plan, has given its backing to the scheme, saying: “The site is in the existing urban area and accessible to public transport and services.
“The site is brownfield and would contribute to meeting Southport’s high affordable housing need.”
The council adds that there is potential for contamination on the site given its historic uses, which may require remediation, while demolition costs may be significant.
It adds that a waste water network upgrade might also be required.
Sefton says that access to the new development should be taken onto Balmoral Drive or North Road, while there is an opportunity to create pedestrian linkages through the site between Balmoral Drive and Rufford Road / Bankfield Lane.
An assessment of the junction at Marshside Road and Cambridge Road would need to be included within the Transport Assessment for the scheme.