Knowsley revs up affordable housing with car park sale

Retirement living specialist McCarthy Stone is set to acquire a two-acre plot off St Chads Drive in Kirkby to deliver 53 senior living apartments.

Knowsley Council agreed to dispose of the land, formerly home to St Chad’s Clinic, at its cabinet meeting last Wednesday. The clinic was demolished in 2019 and has since been made into a temporary car park for nearby development.

McCarthy Stone’s proposals for the site would see 53 affordable homes delivered, all available for shared ownership.

At the cabinet meeting, councillors highlighted the need for increased senior housing provision. It is believed that plans would improve the availability of housing available to families and younger people.

Knowsley Council took ownership of the St Chads plot along with a further 10 acres of land and 87 shops in November 2019 from St Modwen.

St Modwen had bought the wider site for development from Tesco in 2015 for £36m with plans to deliver a 94,000 sq ft retail-led scheme, featuring a Morrison’s supermarket, a 20,000 sq ft Home Bargains, and a KFC.

The scheme never came to fruition under St Modwen’s ownership, despite the developer having appointed GMI as contractor. The local authority has since progressed the town centre plans.

Next steps for the St Chads site include a full planning application from McCarthy Stone for the residential development and an application for grant funding from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to guarantee the sale of the land.