Lancs win for Westchurch
Following deferral in October, the housebuilder’s plans for 50 homes at the former Lostock Hall primary school site have been approved by South Ribble Council.
At October’s planning committee, clarification had been sought over drainage issues, questions that have now been resolved.
Westchurch Homes’ professional team includes Maybern Planning & Development, engineer Sutcliffe advising on flooding and drainage, transport consultant Mode, MCK Associates, Bowland Tree Consultancy, Miller Goodall, Focus, Ian Farmer Associates and Aecom.
The scheme is to be fully affordable, developed by Westchurch then being handed over to housing association Community Gateway. It includes eight one-bedroom apartments, 15 two-bed, 21 three-bed and six four-bedroom houses.
The site is allocated for housing in South Ribble’s local plan. Forty seven objections were recorded before the committee met.
In line with officer recommendation, the committee gave a verdict of minded to approve, subject to legal agreements and a financial contribution to public open space.
Off Avondale Drive, the 3.7-acre site is mostly surrounded by housing, with the St James church and community centre facing the south-west corner. The school closed in 2010, and its former buildings have since been demolished.
Elsewhere, Westchurch is working with Jigsaw on a 71-home affordable scheme in Openshaw, east Manchester; while in September it was refused consent for another affordable project in Alsager.
According to Maybern’s design & access statement, final handover in Lostock Hall could happen as early as 2024. The project’s planning reference with South Ribble is07/2022/00457/FUL.
