HOMES PLAN AT SITE OF GUTTED FORMER SCHOOL
AROUND 269 homes could be built on the site of a former Runcorn secondary school gutted by fire nearly 20 years ago.
Halton Borough Council is seeking approval from senior councillors to press ahead with the plans for the “Priory Meadow” development, on land north of the Bridgewater Canal and Phoenix Park fishing lake.
The plot encompasses the former Norton Priory school and recreation centre, plus the former comprehensive’s fields.
It also includes four hectares of Haddocks Wood pasture “local wildlife site”, and is close to Norton Priory Museum and Gardens.
Halton Council has held longterm ambitions to develop the plot, which it said was one of the last remaining areas from the Castlefields estate masterplan.
Outline planning permission was granted for up to 355 homes on the plot in 2007, but a council technical report published in 2017 suggested it could accommodate 262 properties.
The report classed the land as “greenfield”, grassland and open space The council is now eyeing slightly more than that, at 269 in total, and wants to own 96 of them itself, with the management of the properties handled by a housing association under contract and some rent revenues directed back to the council.
Under the terms of the deal, the council would award the land to a developer on condition that around 96 properties are “gifted” to the council, instead of selling the land to the chosen developer.
A report published ahead of an executive board meeting on Thursday, September 16, said the plot was previously dubbed “Canalside” until its rebranding as “Priory Meadow”.
Approval is being sought from councillors on the board for marketing to take place, market testing, legal agreements for gifted homes to the council, and authority for department supremoes to ensure legal compliance.
It is anticipated that the gifting arrangement with an ongoing income for the council would generate more income than selling the land.
Due to the revenue being an ongoing income, this means the council can spend the money on services also, which is usually prohibited by money generated from selling land or property known as “capital” funds.
The report said: “Finance (department) has considered the gifted homes option compared with the alternative of receiving a one-off capital receipt from sale of the land.
“Their evaluation concluded that the gifted homes approach is the preferred option in financial terms and it will provide a much needed annual revenue income stream to assist with funding council services.”
Norton Priory High School shut in 2002 and merged with Brookvale to form Halton High.
The old school building was gutted by fire shortly after closing, in what one eyewitness called a “ferocious inferno”, requiring 12 appliances from across Cheshire and scores of firefighters.