Knowsley signs off 800 Kirkby homes
Housebuilder Barratt David Wilson is expected to pay £7.7m in Section 106 contributions following the go-ahead for land south of Cherryfield Drive.
The 56-acre Cherryfield Drive site has long been a part of plans for the regeneration of Kirkby town centre, and was sold by the council to BDW in September 2021 as part of a housing land disposal programme.
Two rounds of consultation then followed as the developer finalised its plans. The first drew a welter of feedback, with 144 objections lodged, a number that had shrunk to five following the second round.
Summer 2023 saw the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority increase the project’s brownfield support grant from £4.65m to £11.5m.
Some demolition is still required: part of the site formerly housed Knowsley Community College.
The professional team includes planner Asteer, heritage advisor Turley, Allen Archaeology, Coopers (drainage), SEED, Egniol Consulting, Mode, ERAP, Noise Consultants, landscape architect Golby & Luck, and Environmental Economics, along with engagement advisor UK Networks.
BDW’s plans include a mix of two, three and four bedroom homes, as well as 10 bungalows and apartments. Eighty affordable homes are inked in. Homes will be fitted with electric vehicle charging points.
Most of the homes will be three- or four-bed, with 371 homes and 316 dwellings respectively in those size bands.
A phasing plan has been submitted. Phase one, of 178 plots, would be in the south-east of the site to the south of the leisure centre. A 284-home second phase would be in the north-west of the site (where the college is), with phase three’s 218 plots in the central section of the site and the area bounded by Whinberry Drive and Pondwater Close. Phase four, comprising 120 plots, would be to the north-east of the site to the north of the leisure centre and bounded by the existing car park.
The Section 106 developer contributions are earmarked for:
- £4.4m to increase secondary school places in Kirkby
- £2m for improvements to public open space and sports facilities
- £817,000 to provide additional GP capacity in Kirkby
- £462,000 for off-site tree planting.
Cllr Tony Brennan, Knowsley Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said: “This is a great opportunity for Kirkby to further build on its economic growth in recent years. The proposals will provide more much needed new homes to meet the rising demand we are seeing and targets we are being set nationally to tackle the housing crisis.
“Fundamentally though, this development is more than just new homes, it’s another key part of our regeneration vision for Kirkby. The plans will bring high quality homes into the town and more people into the town centre – which can only be a good thing for local businesses and for future investment that we all want to see.”
The project will be designed to connect to open spaces through the Kirkby Brook green corridor, connecting Mill Dam Park and the wider cycle network.
Should the project be delivered as envisaged, it would bring towards a close a development story that has been live for most of this century. Tesco, then at the peak of its powers, led a project that would also have seen Everton FC relocate to Kirkby, before the Secretary of State threw out the plans, unpopular with many in any case, in 2009.
Tesco sold the town centre retail core to St Modwen in 2015, the developer later selling on its holdings to the council.
BDW’s proposals can be viewed in full on Knowsley’s planning portal, reference 24/00068/FUL.
Are these houses anywhere near Kirkby’s two Merseyrail stations?
By Anonymous
80 affordable homes out of 800 being built, at least we are getting some new trees.
By Anonymous
Greedy Knowsley council continuing their plans to turn Kirkby into a concrete jungle with minimal greenspace.
By Anniemac1878
new houses are good. But they Definately, have, to get more schools, more doctors, dentists, and sort the town centre out , the shops are closing all the time.
By Anonymous
Fantastic news. Its great to see the regeneration of this brownfield site getting the nod from Knowsley’s planning committee, despite the usual outrage from the NIMBY parade.
By Anonymous
Much needed homes, on a central brownfield site, well served by public transport, in an area of regeneration. Text book site for housing. If we can’t support building homes on sites like these we have no hope! The selfish letter writing home owning objectors out in force no doubt. I’m alright jack in my 4 bed semi. This, or even more greenbelt, you choose. NIMBY.
By Regen