Consent for latest phase of huge garden village housing development

Halton has given the go-ahead for the next phase of 335 new homes at Daresbury Garden Village, in Daresbury, Cheshire.

The reserved matters consent allows a mix of three- and four-bedroom family homes in what’s known as the ‘north’ section of the site.

They will complement the larger three-, four- and five-bedroom homes already under way at Gleaves View in the ‘south’.

Extensive landscaping for the north area has also been approved, which includes more than 700 trees, plus shrubs, hedges and flowering plants.

Future phases are progressing through planning, including a reserved matters application for 187 properties in the ‘central’ section, and an outline application for a new parcel, which is earmarked for 250 homes and a local centre with potential for shops, a pub and food takeaway businesses.

When combined with previous outline consents, the latter would allow up to 1,100 new homes in total for the wider site.

Redrow North West managing director, Jason Newton, said: “Daresbury Garden Village is a complex project and getting each parcel to a stage where we can begin to build is a feat in itself. We’re pleased to have secured detailed consent for the ‘north’ section of the site and, once all the necessary agreements are in place, will start work.”

Before the north section homes can be built Redrow must provide a new access directly off the A558 Daresbury Expressway, which will service this part of the development and is expected to take up to 18 months to complete. Eventually, there will also be a new spine road running though the wider site to link all elements.

Access to existing properties currently served from Keckwick Lane or Delph Lane will be maintained during construction and, once the new A558 junction is operational, they will route via the new junction.

The three- and four-bedroom homes just approved include a mix of mews-style properties, semi-detached and smaller detached houses from Redrow’s Arts & Crafts inspired Heritage Collection.

Overall, Daresbury Garden Village is expected to take around 10 years to complete and homes will be interspersed with open spaces, green corridors and areas for formal and informal play.

During the course of development, Redrow will make community payments totalling £8.5m to Halton Council, which are earmarked for the following:

• Converting the A558 to a dual carriageway
• Off-site affordable housing elsewhere in the borough
• Support of existing bus routes and delivering a new bus link into the Daresbury Park business park
• Improvements to Runcorn East railway station
• Structural landscaping and linear park creation within the wider area, including their maintenance, plus improvements to nearby Daresbury Firs
• Creation of a pedestrian link under the West Coast Mainline and walking and cycling route connections to the site
• Contribution to the Bridgewater Way Initiative and funding towards alternative marina locations along the canal

The site is located just off the A56 Chester Road, which links Warrington to junction 11 of the M56 motorway for travel to Manchester, Chester and North Wales, while the A558 Daresbury Expressway provides direct access to the Mersey Gateway Bridge, which links Runcorn and Widnes and facilitates onward travel to Liverpool.