Riverside looks to next steps of £60m Runcorn regen
The housing association’s latest application focuses on the town’s Uplands area with proposals to deliver 257 replacement homes as part of its wider plans for Halton Lea.
Riverside Group has lodged its plans for The Uplands with Halton Council, marking the next steps in its £60m regeneration of the Runcorn village.
The group was granted planning permission last month for the first half of the masterplan. This first phase will see the demolition of 26 homes and a local centre at Palace Fields to make way for 134 affordable homes.
In Uplands, Riverside is proposing to demolish 107 apartments within The Knoll and 210 houses to be replaced with 257 homes, delivered within the wider Town Park.
Plans are made up of 159 houses, 73 apartments, and 25 bungalows, which will be accessed via two new entry points from Palace Fields Avenue.
It is proposed that all homes would be affordable and available as a mix of shared ownership, rent-to-buy, and social rented properties.
Additionally, a new landscaped ‘green avenue’ would be created through the centre of the site to feature new trees, planting, and street furniture to improve connectivity.
The two subways located near the Knoll apartments would also be closed for the creation of a pedestrian crossing and footpath, delivering a safe crossing over the busway and better connections to Shopping City.
A ‘green avenue’ would be created through the site. Credit: via Riverside Group
Riverside ran a consultation on the wider Halton Lea masterplan in February.
Nick Jones, director of development and growth at Riverside, said: “With planning secured for the local centre, The Uplands application is the final piece of the jigsaw in our regeneration scheme in Halton Lea.
“Engagement with the community has been an integral part of our work to shape a regeneration scheme that works and delivers the facilities and housing that local people want and need”, he continued.
“However, engagement doesn’t stop at planning application status and we’re continuing to work closely with residents and stakeholders this autumn to work through the next steps in delivering much-needed regeneration for the area.”
Riverside’s project team for the larger scheme comprises developer Compendium Living, main contractor Lovell Partnerships, DK-Architects, landscape architect Planit-IE, planner Lichfields, and employers agent Markhams.
Also on the team: Sutcliffe Engineers, Redmore Environmental, E3P, Vectos, and Amenity Tree Care.
Want to learn more about The Uplands project? Search for application number 23/00368/FUL on Halton Council’s planning portal.
More excellent urban restitching in Runcorn.
By Rye&Eggs
Planners do what planners do. The proof will be the quality of the builds. The issue, as we have all witnessed, is the maintenance , cleaning and overall looking after once the projects are completed. Palacefields, the Glen and the Uplands ( including Manor Fell and Guinness Trust ) have been neglected for years.
Overgrown. Gone to seed spaces. Drains and grids blocked with mature weeds are everywhere.
Both Housing associations and Halton Council really need to get it together from here on
By Resident of 50 years.