Liverpool housing association Torus and builder Keepmoat seek reserved matters approval for 212 new city region homes on huge site that may eventually see 1,100 new homes built. Tony McDonough reports
Torus is pushing forward with plans to build 212 affordable homes at a giant development site in St Helens.
In 2024 Torus acquired part of the Cowley Hill site from developer BXB (Cowley Hill), a joint venture between BXB Land Solutions and Promenade Estates. The entire site is earmarked for top to 1,100 new homes in a £200m scheme.
For its part of the scheme on the former glassworks, Torus has teamed up with its development partner Keepmoat. They aim to build 112 social rent homes, 62 under shared ownership and 38 right-to-buy.
An affordable home is one where the rent or sale price is no more than 80% of the local market rate. Rent on a social home can be as low as 50% of the market rate.
Torus and Keepmoat have now submitted a reserved matters planning application to St Helens Council. A reserved matters application is a detailed follow-up to an outline planning permission.
It is submitted to gain approval for specific aspects of a development such as appearance, access, landscaping, layout, and scale.
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BXB (Cowley Hill) is also planning to create around 200,000 sq ft of commercial space at Cowley Hill, one of the largest brownfield sites in the city region.
In April 2025 it secured a £10m grant from City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement for a new link road to the site. This £710m fund backs major transport infrastructure projects across Liverpool city region.