Kier secures consent in Skelmersdale

Kier Living has been given the go-ahead for 164 homes on a plot north of Whalleys Road in Skelmersdale.

The wider area has outline consent for 630 units with a number of developers active in and around the site, including Keepmoat and Persimmon. Keepmoat is currently building out the site known as Whalleys 4 to the east, which has approval for 202 houses.

Kier Living, working with Homes England, is proposing to build a mix of one, two, three, four, and five-bed properties at the site, which lies to the north of Skelmersdale and to the West of the village of Dalton. The land, stretching over around 19 acres, is currently undeveloped fields but is allocated for housing development under West Lancashire’s Local Plan.

There will be a mix of house types, including bungalows, while around 30% of the homes on the site are set aside as affordable. In total there will be 33 bungalows, 24 two-beds,70 three-beds, 26 four-beds, and 10 five-beds, along with a single one-bed apartment.

The affordable homes are to be marketed as shared ownership.

Kier Living put forward planning applications for two plots: a reserved matters application for 129 homes, and a full planning application for a further 35 houses. This step was taken as the number of homes proposed exceeded the amount initially granted outline planning permission.

Both plots were granted planning permission at West Lancashire’s planning committee last week, although a start date for the project has not yet been set. The project will likely be delivered over two phases, with the larger plot getting under way first.

There will be a significant amount of open space set aside in the main plot, housing 129 homes, as well as pedestrian and cycle links to current and future development plots.

The professional team on the project includes Geoff Perry Associates.