Breck buys brickworks to tee up £75m West Lancs resi

The former Ravenhead Brickworks site in Upholland near Wigan could host some 300 homes over its 21 acres now that the land is owned by the housebuilder.

Preston-based Breck Homes intends to submit a planning application to West Lancashire Council for the neighbourhood by the end of 2025 and predicts the residential scheme could have a GDV of around £75m.

Brickmaker Ibstock sold the now disused brownfield site, which was decommissioned in 2023, to Breck. Newmark provided advice to the company on the sale.

Andy Garnett, director at Breck, said: “The acquisition is part of our commitment to regenerating communities across the North by identifying and unlocking strategic land opportunities.

“As a well-funded business, we’re able to act quickly when sites like Ravenhead come to market. We have purchased the potential development site without any existing planning permission at our risk.”

He continued: “Although the site presents technical challenges, we are confident in our technical ability to transform it into a thriving community.

“This project will also create a boost to the local economy by offering opportunities for subcontractors and apprentices, something we ensure happens across all our sites. We look forward to progressing our plans for the site later in the year.”

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Nick Spence, planning and estates manager, Ibstock, added: “We have enjoyed working with the highly professional and proactive team at Breck, and are delighted the land will be used to create a new community in the northern region of the country.

“We also take pride in ensuring we continue the ongoing maintenance and restoration work of the nearby quarry area, which will remain part of the Ibstock estate.”

Breck Homes has been active in the North West over the past few months, with hundreds of homes now in the pipeline.

In Liverpool, the housebuilder is to redevelop a pet food factory into a 53-home neighbourhood, while applications have been lodged with local authorities for sites in Liverpool and St Helens.