Path cleared for Riverside’s 134-home Runcorn regen
Halton councillors voted unanimously to grant the housing association’s project planning permission on Monday.
Riverside Group can now proceed with its ambitions to demolish 26 homes and a local centre at Palace Fields in Halton Lea to make way for 134 affordable homes, including extra care provision and accommodation for veterans.
The local centre will also be replaced, with the new edition having commercial space and a community café.
“The approval for the local centre is another major step forward in our ambitions to transform Runcorn and provide much needed high-quality affordable homes and spaces for local people to come together,” said Riverside director of development and growth Nick Jones.
“Having listened to residents’ views ahead of planning submission, we are confident this new local centre will be a welcome addition to the area, especially as it had always been an ask since we began consultation,” he continued.
Other aspects of Riverside’s plans include an improved community garden, new play area, and additional habitats to promote biodiversity. Riverside is also closing the current subway to enable a safer walking and cycling route to connect the area.
Work is set to begin on the Palace Fields scheme next winter.
The Palace Fields initiative is just half of Riverside’s £60m plans for Halton Lea. A planning application for the other half, focusing on the Uplands area, is due for submission in September.
That application will include provision for 247 homes, comprising a mixture of bungalows, houses, and apartments. Four-bedroom properties are on the agenda as well, to meet the community’s housing needs.
A taste of what Riverside has planned for the Uplands. Credit: via Riverside Group
“As with the proposals for Palace Fields Local Centre, we’ve continued to heavily involve the community in helping us identify ways to develop the Uplands area,” Jones said.
“Once again, feedback has been very positive and useful in shaping what we hope to do, leading to facilities that local people want and need, such as an increased number of three-bedroom bungalows and improved car parking,” he added.
“We’ll soon be inviting residents across the community to a series of engagement events scheduled for this autumn, where they will be able to discuss next steps and meet the teams involved in regenerating the area. We hope you’ll be able to join us.”
Riverside’s project team for Halton Lea comprises developer Compendium Living, main contractor Lovell Partnerships, DK-Architects, landscape architect Planit-IE, planner Lichfields, and employers agent Markhams.
Also on the team: Sutcliffe Engineers, Redmore Environmental, E3P, Vectos, and Amenity Tree Care.
Learn more about the proposal by searching 23/00128/FUL on the Halton Council planning portal.
Does DK Architects ever come up with any other design for their social housing schemes. It’s like they chose a design back in 2002 and have stuck to it ever since.
By Old Hall Street