Council gives green light for 479-home schemes in Widnes
Councillors have approved plans to build 479 new homes on two sites in Widnes.
Halton Borough Council gave the green light to North West housebuilder, Redrow, to build 428 new homes, off Derby Road, and a further 51 properties off South Lane.
Jason Newton, managing director for Redrow (NW), said: “These two sites represent a milestone for the Halton area as they’re the first housing developments to be brought to this stage under Halton’s new Delivery and Allocations Local Plan (DALP), which was approved in 2022.
“In total, we’ll be delivering 479 high quality homes across the two parcels of land. This will make a significant contribution towards meeting the area’s housing needs, including providing 96 affordable properties.”
The larger 50-acre site off Derby Road will feature generous areas of green open space with play areas and pocket parks interspersed throughout.
At South Lane, Redrow will build a smaller development across five acres, which will also feature an area of green open space to the south, overlooking the brook.
Redrow worked with planning consultants Stantec to bring both sites through the planning process.
Subject to formal acquisitions, it is hoped that construction work can begin on both sites in 2024, with the first homes going on sale mid-2024 and the first completions towards the end of next year.
The developments are contributing towards a new £4m active travel scheme. Each new household will receive one free bus pass for one occupant for the first year that they live on the development.
Linked to the planning consent for Derby Road, Redrow will also be contributing £68,200 towards biodiversity enhancements.
The two new schemes will also boast traditionally styled homes from Redrow’s Heritage Collection, which feature arts and craft inspired architecture and contemporary modern interiors with inbuilt energy efficiency.
In a pioneering move for a major housebuilder, all upcoming Redrow developments will also feature air source heat pumps to provide heating and hot water as standard and underfloor heating in detached designs to lower customers’ energy use.
Jason added: “Our highly efficient new homes in Widnes are being built in a sustainable location, with great access to local shops, schools and health care facilities, along with public transport. Our new neighbourhoods are also designed to be easy to get around on foot or by bike and link up with existing footpath networks to encourage greener travel.”
Redrow NW is actively building at 10 locations across Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Flintshire, including at its Daresbury Garden Village development, where up to 1,100 new homes are being built.
