Property consultancy Avison Young will deliver the masterplan for the largest new housing project in Liverpool city region, comprising 3,000 new homes. Tony McDonough reports
St Helens Council has appointed property consultancy Avison Young to create a masterplan for its huge Bold Forest Garden Village.
Located on a 132-hectare site 2.5 miles south of St Helens town centre, Bold Forest Garden Village has the potential for around 3,000 new homes. It is the largest housing allocation within Liverpool city region.
Avison Young is now engaging with landowners, stakeholders and members of the community to develop a single comprehensive Masterplan Framework covering the whole of the garden village site.
Working in collaboration with Avison Young as part of the wider design team are Optimised Environments, SLR, Useful Projects, Social and SEC Newgate. Walker Sime’s Regeneration Delivery function will support management of the commission.
Approval of the masterplan framework is scheduled for autumn 2025. Lisa Harris, executive director of place Services at St Helens Council, said: “Bold Forest Garden Village will be a landscape-led development.
“It will optimise its unique location with the outstanding Bold Forest Park Area, creating a new housing market demand and providing complementary opportunities for our existing communities of Bold, Clock Face, Sutton and beyond.
“Avison Young and the wider design team have demonstrated their ability and passion to realise our vision for Bold Forest Garden Village via collaborative production of an ambitious and viable Masterplan Framework over the coming months.”
St Helens Council is also pushing on with the £90m regeneration of the town centre. In October LBN revealed global brand Hilton had signed up to operate a hotel as part of the mixed-used scheme.
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Nicola Rigby, principal at Avison Young and delivery and planning lead on the project, added: “ As the largest housing allocation in the city region, Bold Forest Garden Village will make a significant contribution towards economic growth and tackling the housing crisis.
“However, our collective vision for Bold Forest Garden Village is much more than a housing delivery programme as we want existing and future communities to benefit from diverse environments and green spaces that enhance health and wellbeing.”