A striking sculpture at the entrance gateway is one of the visible signs that work is progressing on the 95-acre site, which has capacity to deliver up to 900 homes.
Remediation activity and infrastructure provision is also now well-advanced to support delivery of the initial 258 homes by Taylor Wimpey, plans for which were approved by St Helens Borough Council’s Planning Committee earlier this year.
On a visit to the site this week Councillor David Baines, Leader of St Helens Borough Council, said: “We’re starting to see the hard work of this council paying off with development sites like this appearing across the borough. No longer are we just talking about proposals – now we have diggers on sites preparing them for immediate redevelopment, bringing new homes and facilities which means that future generations can stay close to where they have grown up or move here to make St Helens Borough their home.”
Harworth have assembled the site, which will include a boulevard spine road lined with grass and mature trees, with provision for public transport and segregated pedestrian and cycle routes alongside a network of public open spaces with high quality landscaping and play areas. This is another example of St Helens Borough Council proactively engaging with developers to help bring brownfield sites back into use as attractive places to live.
Steven Knowles, Regional Director for the North West at Harworth, commented: “Moss Nook is Harworth’s first residential development in the North West, and the scheme demonstrates our specialist skillset in transforming large, complex sites into sustainable new communities where people want to live and work. We are grateful for the grant funding provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority which has enabled us to begin works on the new spine road at the site and unlock the first phase of residential development.”
Moss Nook is a large complex site, historically used for mining and a number of heavy industrial processes. Funding of £2m from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority helped to support the remediation and infrastructure work necessary for this first phase of development, helping to fulfil the sites potential as one of the region’s largest single residential developments.
Councillor Jeanie Bell, Cabinet Member for Stronger, Safer Communities, said: “This plot of land has been derelict for a number of years and has been plagued by anti-social behaviour. Now this development is improving the appearance of the area and will allow the opportunity for more people to access quality housing in our borough. Our residents deserve good quality housing and we as a council will continue to work hard to deliver that.”
Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning, added: “Projects like this, alongside Glass Futures, shows our commitment to putting brownfield sites first to build homes and facilities which we need in our borough. With support from the Liverpool City Region we are able to fund and deliver remediation works which makes these brownfield sites attractive to developers.”
