Breck Homes seeks Liverpool go-ahead
A proposal for 53 affordable homes and the refurbishment of space for offices are on the cards for the Fold Hill pet food factory off Sandy Lane in Fazakerley, as the occupier prepares to relocate.
Breck’s plans will be considered at Liverpool City Council’s planning committee on 24 June.
The application site covers around 2.7 acres, and comprises offices and factory buildings of one to four storeys, along with servicing areas and associated infrastructure.
The factory employs around 60 people, but Fold Hill is understood to be winding up the Liverpool site and rationalising operations to the headquarters in Boston, Lincolnshire.
Some buildings will be demolished to make way for the residential scheme, while the building at 204 Longmoor Lane will be part-demolished, with the remainder being refurbished for use as offices.
Breck Homes proposes a mix of rent-to-buy and social rent units, broken down as 18 one-bedroom homes, 27 two-beds, six three-beds and two four-beds. Torus is lined up as operator. Terraces and maisonettes are included.
There are to be 55 car parking spaces, and a further 14 for the office building.
The scheme as submitted differs from an earlier iteration, which envisaged 59 homes and the complete demolition of 204 Longmoor Lane.
The intention is for the development to be accessed from Sandy Lane, a point of contention with local councillor Paul Brant, who has lodged an objection starting his desire for a redesign, to make Longmoor Lane the access point.
Along the Longmoor Lane side of the scheme, the Breck site wraps around the Farmers Arms pub.
There have also been 119 objections from local residents, although officers do report that a number of these are duplicate submissions.
Fold Hill Foods acquired the site in 2019 from Nestle Purina, which it has supplied since in an agreement for a fixed period, which has now expired. As officers set out, “the factory represents a non-confirming use in a primarily residential area and, as it is no longer required for manufacturing uses, removing the use is considered acceptable in principle”.
Approval is recommended on condition of a Section 106 agreement being completed, the main part of which is £53,000 for open space provision. The plans can be viewed on LCC’s planning portal with the reference 24F/1958.
A shame we are losing 60 jobs but at least there is a future use for the site, good to hear these these will be terraced properties too.
How can people object to more housing when people are in need, in addition this is a brownfield site and not taking up any parkland etc, really hope the councillor doesn’t scupper this.
By Anonymous
Am I alone in being alarmed that 60 jobs will be lost to the city and that Lincoln is seen as a more attractive place to do business from than Liverpool? Very worrying.
By Anonymous
A win-win for Fold Hill Foods, they sell their site, and offload 60 workers too, a relatively small number but each one is a job we can’t afford to lose.
By Anonymous
We did not object to more housing. We objected to avoidable traffic congestion. The access point for traffic is the issue.
By Anonymous