Work starts on 66 affordable Wirral homes

Ground has broken on a project to redevelop the former Foxfield School site off Douglas Drive in Moreton.

The scheme is being delivered in partnership between Lovell Partnerships, part of Morgan Sindall, and social housing provider Onward Homes, with the development having been granted permission by Wirral Council in March.

This site is one of half-a-dozen locations earmarked for housing development in the Moreton and Woodchurch areas of the peninsula in the council’s emerging local plan.

Comprising 66 affordable dwellings, a mix of terraced and semi-detached two and two-and-a-half storey affordable homes, with two-, three-, and four-bedrooms are to be built.

On completion, shared ownership, affordable rent, and rent-to-buy options will then be made available through Onward.

Tahreen Shad, regional partnerships director at Lovell, said: “We are pleased to have started work so soon after receiving a planning decision. The site has been vacant for some time, after the school relocated in 2015 and the old site was demolished in 2018, so this project will really give the area a new lease of life.

“This project also builds on our 15-year-long partnership with Wirral Council, helping to unlock important sites such as this one to provide much-needed affordable homes.

“The plans include a range of sustainable design measures such as high-performing insulation and low-energy fittings. We are also keen to prioritise a vibrant and cohesive green environment for residents.”

The project has is being financed via Onward’s strategic partnership with Homes England, which is supporting the housing association to develop 5,000 homes by 2030.

The homes will be built on the site of the former school in Moreton. Credit: Planning documents

Sandy Livingstone, executive director (property) at Onward, said: “We are excited to begin our latest affordable development in the Wirral, and to be partnering with Lovell for the first time.

“The development provides much needed homes that are affordable for our customers in the Wirral. As well as providing more quality, choice and affordability for those who rent, these new homes will also help more people take their first steps on the local property ladder, through our affordable home ownership tenures.”

DK Architects and Stantec feature on the project team for this scheme.

To view the plans, search for application reference number APP/23/01524 on Wirral Council’s planning portal.

Lovells has previously completed a multi-million-pound regeneration of the former Fiveways estate in Rock Ferry, delivering 283 homes in partnership with Wirral Council and Riverside, with the final handover taking place at the end of last year.

The developer is also responsible for Fountain Court in Tranmere, a market housing renewal site delivering 75 homes in partnership with Wirral Council.