Sefton to sell old Bootle school site for affordable scheme

Part of the former Bootle High School site is set to be sold by the council to One Vision Housing to facilitate the building of a 53-home project.

Should the deal be confirmed, the Sefton Council hopes construction at the site off Browns Lane in Bootle will begin this financial year.

Sandway Homes won permission in June 2024 for a private sale housing-led scheme, comprising 45 homes for outright sale and eight affordable properties.

According to the cabinet report, “unprecedented” demand for affordable housing has forced the council into a rethink, and now the 4.5-acre site will be taken forward by One Vision Housing, with Sandway’s application forming the basis of the scheme.

One Vision Housing will provide two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes and switch the site from a market-led to an affordable scheme, with slight alterations to housing types.

Officers are expected to work with One Vision Housing to finalise the tenure mix for the homes, with an intention to provide a mix of social rent and low-cost home ownership options.

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John McCall Architects is the architect behind the scheme’s design. Each home would have a private garden and sport an EPC B rating to improve sustainability and keep residents’ bills low.

Sefton Council has requested that the land be revalued by Homes England before it moves to complete a land sale contract, and One Vision Housing has signified its intent to seek grant funding from the housing body.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Leader of Sefton Council, said: “The Bootle High site provides Sefton Council with the opportunity to work with One Vision Housing to create 53 new affordable family homes that will help tackle that need in line with the Government’s news, national housing policy.

“We will be working with One Vision to finalise the best mix of two-, three-, and four-bed family homes with the right combination of social rent and low-cost ownership options.”

“Having high-quality homes they can afford provides families with the stability they need and with the security that helps ensure our young people don’t miss out on education and other opportunities for life.

“I hope my colleagues will agree that this is a great opportunity to provide residents with a choice of affordable housing types and tenures.”

Roy Williams, group chief executive at One Vision Housing, added he was keen to carry out a “crucial initiative” with Sefton Council to provide “much-needed social housing”.