Torus eyes £30m scheme as Wirral acquisition approved

Housing association Torus has bought a 20-acre plot from Wirral Council for £2m in order to deliver a £30m residential development.

The site of the former Rock Ferry High School, which closed in 2016, was sold by the council to facilitate Torus bringing forward an extra care scheme.

Torus62, an special purpose vehicle created to deliver the project, plans to deliver 189 homes across 11 acres, in a mix of shared ownership and affordable rent properties, including houses, bungalows and apartments.

Of the homes, 100 are designated to be extra care units.

A planning application for the scheme has been submitted with a decision expected in February. Mosaic Town Planning and Pozzoni are advising.

At a Wirral Council cabinet meeting which signed off the sale, Cllr Janette Williamson, deputy leader of the council, said: “Improving housing availability for residents is a key priority for Wirral.

“The sale of this particular site will allow the provider to develop affordable housing, bringing much-needed added social value to the area as they re-purpose the space to benefit the community.”

A portion of the fee received for the sale of the land will be put towards making improvements of Riverside Primary school.

Torus recently broke ground at the site of the former Lyndale School in Eastham.