Spades in ground for 1,500-home Handforth Garden Village

The initial stages of work are underway at the 300-acre residential scheme, with Manchester and Cheshire Construction kicking off the creation of a gateway to the development a couple of weeks ahead of schedule.

Cheshire East Council said last year that it expected work to start on a package of highways, enabling, and remediation work in September 2026 after years of planning the 1,500-home Handforth Garden Village. Now, Manchester and Cheshire Construction is on site delivering a footpath as part of the scheme’s infrastructure.

The start of work means the planning permission for the development, handed down in 2023, is now locked in and will not expire on its three-year anniversary.

Councillor Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for planning, housing and regeneration, said: “Today marks a really important step towards creating a new Garden Village at Handforth that residents can be proud of.”

The scheme is being delivered by MADE Partnership, a joint venture between Barratt Redrow, Homes England, and Lloyds Banking Group and Warren said “strong progress” has been made in the development of the plans since the parties signed an exclusivity agreement a year ago.

“Reaching these latest milestones is a marker of MADE Partnership’s commitment to the garden village and demonstrates the value of the public and private sectors working together to deliver significant growth,” Warren said.

“Through our close partnership working, we share an ambition to create a sustainable, high-quality place that delivers new homes, jobs, community facilities and green spaces, while supporting the long-term economic growth of Cheshire East.”

Stephen Kinsella, MADE Partnership managing director, said: “Starting work onsite at the Garden Village at Handforth represents a key milestone for MADE Partnership.

“Working collaboratively with Cheshire East Council and other stakeholders has enabled us to bring the project forward at pace, identifying some adjustments that will aid delivery of our compelling, shared vision.

“Our aim, going forward, is to formalise our relationship with Cheshire East into an investment partnership to share the rewards of our collaboration.

“By working in partnership with the council and other stakeholders, we will create a community where homes, jobs and nature thrive, supported by infrastructure and amenities that makes the Handforth Garden Village work.”

Handforth Garden Village was one of the 14 government-designated garden villages announced in 2017. The project, which would sit on 300 acres east of the A34, includes the building of 1,500 homes; 245,000 sq ft of employment space; a through school; a country park, and a 174-bed extra care scheme.

MADE has also applied for permission to make several minor tweaks to the project, including relocating the proposed school to a flatter site and increasing the heights of buildings in some areas of the masterplan to a maximum of four storeys.

You can see the approved planning application for Handforth Garden Village by searching reference number 19/0623M on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal. The planning project team included E*Scape Urbanists, IBI (now part of Arcadis), PGA Landscape Architecture, and Frost Planning. The planning tweaks can be viewed by searching for reference number 26/2366/VOC on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal.