Councillors give unanimous consent to Liverpool city region development comprising 185 new homes. Tony McDonough reports
Developer Bloor Homes has won approval for 185 new dwellings at a Liverpool city region site.
Bloor submitted plans to build the new homes on 18 acres of greenfield land off South Lane in Widnes. They include 148 homes at full market rate with a further 37 classed as affordable. Councillors approved the plans unanimously.
To be affordable a home has to be available to buy or rent at no more than 80% of the local market rate. Of the 37 homes, nine will be allocated for shared ownership and a further nine for social rent.
Bloor says the remaining 19 dwellings will be ‘first homes’. These are homes that must be discounted by at least 30% and sold to those who meet the Government’s first homes eligibility criteria.
Three-bed homes will account for 77 of the total with 10 designated as affordable. All the other affordable properties would have one or two bedrooms and 81 homes would have four bedrooms, none of which will be affordable.
There have been a small number of objections from people living locally. Complaints included not enough schools and medical facilities in the area, loss of green space, increased traffic and concerns over impact on livestock in nearby agricultural fields.
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Recommending approval, planning officers said: “While there is an element of non-compliance detailed in relation to housing and affordable housing tenure mix, this is not considered to be contrary to the development plan as a whole.
“Based on the above assessment and subject to the proposal to be issued with planning approval conditions and legal agreement provisions, the proposal is deemed acceptable.
“The proposed development would provide residential development on an allocated housing site in a sustainable location, contributing to housing needs in the borough and delivery of high-quality development.”