A further 262 homes will be built on a Liverpool city region former industrial site thanks to £2m in funding from the Combined Authority. Tony McDonough reports
New funding will enable the third phase of a project to build 900 homes on a former industrial site in St Helens to go ahead.
Brownfield remediation specialist Harworth Estates Investments has secured £2m from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (CA) for remediation and infrastructure work at Moss Nook. This will allow the construction of 262 new homes on the site.
In 2020 Harworth secured £2m from the CA for the same purpose. This cleared the way for the first two phases of the scheme. So far 240 homes have been built at Moss Nook. And this third phase will see 112 properties for sale, 50 affordable homes and 100 for rent on the 94-acre site.
In July 2020, the CA was allocated £45m from the Government’s Brownfield Land Fund to deliver previously-developed or brownfield land suitable for at least 3,000 homes. In March 2022 it was awarded an additional £15m which will enable a further 1,000 homes to be built on previously developed sites.
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Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “New homes are an investment in all our futures. They give families the opportunity to realise their home ownership ambitions. They attract new funding into our towns and cities and help us to retain the very best talent.
“We know that our journey to building a strong, prosperous community starts at home. This is why we are helping thousands of families across the Liverpool city region to invest in good quality, genuinely affordable, and accessible houses.”
Plans are in the pipeline for a further 21 projects which could lead to 2,723 additional homes. In total, 700 brownfield sites have been identified across the six local authorities of the Liverpool city region.
Councillor David Baines, leader of St Helens Council, said: “This plot of land, which is located between Sutton, Parr and Bold, was derelict for a number of years. It had been plagued by anti-social behaviour. So it is great to see this site cleaned up and turned into a place for families to live.
“This latest funding will help make more of the site a suitable spot for development in the future and has the potential to unlock new housing and additional facilities in the area.”
Matt Whiteley, associate development director at Harworth, also said: Within just a few years, Harworth has transformed a piece of derelict brownfield land into a thriving new community in St Helens.”