Vistry Partnerships has secured planning consent for three sites in Cheshire West and Chester to build both open market and affordable homes.
The regeneration organisation will develop 189 homes across the three sites and — thanks to the partnership arrangement between Vistry Partnerships and Cheshire West and Chester Council — 30% of them will be built on behalf of the Council to deliver new housing for affordable rent.
The agreement will see 55 homes built on land at the former Acorns Primary School, Ellesmere Port; 52 homes constructed at Rivacre Business Centre, also at Ellesmere Port; and at Handley Hill, Winsford, 82 homes will be developed.
The homes earmarked for open market sale will be available to buy through Vistry Partnership’s housebuilding arm, Linden Homes, with the affordable rental properties available to let through the council.
Vistry Partnerships Managing Director Brendan Blythe described the step as great news for local people. Brendan said: “We are delighted to have secured planning permission three sites in the Cheshire West and Chester area from the council.
“It will enable us to deliver a wide mix of housing options and we look forward to working in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council once again to bring much-needed council housing to the area.”
Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Growth, commented: “This is great news. We need more housing in our Borough and this announcement means that more market and affordable homes will be available in Ellesmere Port and Winsford.
“These developments will deliver new high quality housing for people to buy and more local authority housing for people to rent. In partnership with Vistry, this council is utilising underused and vacant sites to provide housing for people in our Borough.”
The three-site developments follow other Vistry Partnerships projects in Cheshire West and Chester including Watling Street, Northwich, where it is building 70 retirement apartments in partnership with Your Housing Group at the site of former town centre council offices.
The regeneration expert also recently completed construction of 141 new houses and apartments — 45 of them council homes — at Chase Park, Ellesmere Port, on the site of a former greyhound stadium. They were the first new-build council homes in the borough for 40 years. Brendan Blythe added: “We are proud to continue our regeneration work across Cheshire West & Chester with this latest partnership. It will bring up to 57 new homes for affordable rent as well as properties for those looking to buy.”
