Countryside kicks off £33m Ainsdale homes 

Comprising 90 extra-care units and 40 houses and apartments, The Meadows is being developed by Riverside Group for Sefton Council and Homes England.

The £33m development will see main contractor Countryside deliver 130 homes in total, available on various affordable tenures, on a vacant site off Sandbrook Road in Ainsdale.

Scheduled for completion in 2026, 110 of the homes will be set aside for affordable rent, while the remaining 20 will be available as shared ownership properties.

The project team has worked with the Sandbrook Coproduction Group in developing the project, with the aim of creating homes appropriate for people who are neurodiverse.

The group has worked with Sefton Council and Riverside to design eight of the homes, which will form a short-term assessment unit, designed to help residents live independently.

Nick Jones, director of development and growth at Riverside Housing said the scheme has “something for everyone”

“At Riverside, we pride ourselves on being one of the UK’s largest providers of housing and care services,” he said.

“This scheme will enable us to deliver an inclusive community that not only supports local people to step onto the property ladder through a choice of quality homes but offers individuals options to continue living independently.”

Riverside is delivering the development as part of its Strategic Partnership with Homes England.

The Meadows is just one aspect of Riverside’s £80.7m strategic partnership with the government’s housing and regeneration agency, a deal that also includes a 35-home project in Gateshead and the 170-home Shropshire Gardens near Ellesmere Port.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Leader of Sefton Council said: “Turning a disused site into one that offers a range of housing options, including much-needed affordable housing, will be a huge benefit to the people who will live and stay here, as well as the local community.

“We have worked closely with Riverside and Countryside, as well as Sefton residents, to identify the needs of our community and ensure that the plans for this site offer the maximum amount of support and choice for everyone.”

The Meadows was designed by Paddock Johnson.