Barratt submits plans to build 400 homes on Chester uni’s Padgate campus
More than 18 months after consulting on the redevelopment of the 25-acre Crab Lane site, the housebuilder has sent its proposal to Warrington Council for consideration.
Barratt and David Wilson Homes North West’s scheme will feature 400 homes, of which 52 will be affordable.
The housebuilders agreed to acquire the University of Chester’s Padgate Campus in 2023 before unveiling its plans in early 2024. The university put the site up for sale in 2022 having relocated its Warrington operations to the town centre.
BDW’s development will feature a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom houses and will feature around six acres of public realm.
The application is yet to be validated by Warrington Council. Once it is, this story will be updated.
Andrew Taylor, planning director at Barratt and David Wilson Homes in the North West, said: “We are pleased to submit our plans for the regeneration of the University of Chester’s former Padgate Campus. This will be an exciting development, and one which will bring a range of benefits to the wider community in Warrington.
“Having consulted with the local community already, we believe this regeneration scheme will transform the land into a flourishing new neighbourhood whilst preserving the site’s history and investing in Warrington’s sports facilities.”
The sports facilities currently located at the site are being used by Warrington Wolves. These will be demolished the pave the way for the housing development. The Wolves plans to relocate to Victoria Park in 2025.
As part of the plans to mitigate against the loss of the sports facilities, BDW will invest in upgrades to various sites around the borough, including resurfacing two existing artificial grass pitches at Lymm High School and Priestley College, and new full-sized 3G pitches at Victoria Park and Woolston Playing Fields.
Lucy Fitzhugh, executive director of estates and commercial operations at the University of Chester, said: “Disposing of the campus forms part of the University’s wider estate strategy which resulted in its relocation to new sites in the centre of Warrington at Time Square and Barbauld Street in 2022.
“The University of Chester has a proud history of working with and for the local community in Warrington, and the wider Cheshire region. It values the importance of providing higher education in Warrington and the sale of Padgate is crucial to sustain the future higher education strategy in the town.”
Look forward to my new den.
By Wolfie
The University of Chester is broke; empty boarded up student slums in Chester centre, and undersubscribed ‘business’ courses bear this out. I like the idea that Barratt could dump their nasty boxes while preserving ‘history’ though, that made me laugh over my coffee this morning.
By John Smith
Well that’s a load of bollocks… there was no consultation… there was one meeting where they didn’t even send proper representation 😡
By Anonymous
Padgate resident,don’t need anymore houses,traffic is bad enough,ok a token gesture of improvement to sporting facilities in Warrington,but a word,Infrastructure?
By Anonymous
Traffic will be horrendous. 2000 new properties within a few miles of each other. No new road infrastructure. Pollution from the traffic. Not to even mention HGVS and traffic for building these houses. Why demolish a perfectly good sports hall and why can’t the building br refurbished instead of demolished
By Ann Young
One thing that confuses me about repeated comments about new planning applications causing traffic chaos is that surely developers have to produce a traffic impact assessment, no?
That being the case, either the traffic impact turns out not to be a problem; or the impact assessments aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Which is it. This also begs a wider question. How DO local authorities plan for and fund infrastructure to support new housing? It all seems a bit piecemeal and unsatisfactory.
By Anonymous
I thought there had to be an environmental review before anything could go ahead but I’ve been lead to believe WBC have said this is not needed – I would like to know if this is true?
By Shirley Reilly