Huncoat Garden Village progresses
Hyndburn Council is in talks with landowners and developers about individual schemes within the 1,500-home masterplan, and expects the first planning application to come forward within the next 12 months.
The council signed off the 15-year masterplan in October, paving the way for developers to begin discussions over potential projects.
Covering 440 acres and taking in the former Huncoat Colliery and power station sites, the masterplan has been drawn up by consultancies Arcadis and Avison Young on behalf of Hyndburn Council and Homes England.
The masterplan zone is located around the village of Huncoat, which is north-east of Accrington town centre and close to Junction 8 of the M65.
The scheme is described by the local council as “a once in a lifetime opportunity to diversify Hyndburn’s housing offer”.
Spanning 15 years, the masterplan could see the delivery of:
- 1,504 new homes
- A new relief/distributor road linking Huncoat Garden Village directly with the A56 to the south
- Provision to expand Huncoat Junior School
- A new village centre to be located at the junction of Lower Gate Road, Altham Lane and Station Road
- Improvements to Huncoat railway station
- 100 acres of improved open space including 60 acres of safeguarded land for a potential biological heritage site
- A new 11-a-side 4G pitch with flood lighting and a nine-a-side grass pitch.
Now this, in my view, is where you build a garden village – by rail and road links and with mixed and aspirant family housing to compliment the existing terraces. The new National Model Design Code, of which Hyndburn is a pilot area, should steer things to a better outcome – we shall see.
By SW
Good stuff quality homes Will benefit all of pennine Lancashire retain and grown skilled population and hence boost the local economy
By George