Homes England has successfully completed the acquisition of 34 hectares of land within the residential allocation known as the South East Warrington Urban Extension (SEWUE), creating what is now the Agency’s largest development site in the North of England.
The strategic purchase brings the Agency’s total landholding within the SEWUE to c.250 hectares, giving Homes England control of the development of the allocation in Warrington Borough Council’s Local Plan.
The newly acquired land, near to Stretton, is critical to the entire development’s success, making it possible to put essential access infrastructure in place which unlocks the delivery of the whole allocation.
This consolidation of ownership represents a significant milestone in the Agency’s placemaking mission, and the scale of the development will make a substantial contribution to meeting housing needs in Warrington and within the North West region.
Once completed, the site will feature up to 4,200 new homes (30% of which will be affordable) alongside community facilities including schools, recreational spaces, local centres with health facilities, and green spaces for both existing and new communities to enjoy.
Alison Crofton, Chief Property Officer at Homes England, said: “This acquisition is the culmination of focused work by the team and represents a brilliant place opportunity. This is a clear example of Homes England’s unique role to enable, deliver and demonstrate effective placemaking at scale.
“We negotiated with multiple stakeholders to successfully complete this acquisition, alongside ongoing local community engagement. We’re looking forward to progressing to the next stage of planning and seeing a new community being delivered.”
Cllr John Kerr-Brown, Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for housing services, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Homes England on this important scheme. It supports our ongoing work to deliver high quality housing – including affordable homes – in every part of the borough, meeting local demand and supporting Warrington’s growth.”
Following the acquisition, Homes England will complete a site-wide Development Framework this year, laying the groundwork for future planning applications.
