Major housing development at Gartons Lane, St Helens gets green light

The application for the site, on land at Gartons Lane came before the planning committee at its meeting on Tuesday.

It proposed the erection of 514 dwellings via a ‘phased approach’ for the provision of associated access and infrastructure works including roads, drainage infrastructure, car parking, public open space including play facilities, landscaping and the erection of substations.

Speaking during the meeting, Ian Harrison, land and planning director at Taylor Wimpey, said 155 of the homes will be affordable, that ‘we’ve sold to a registered provider’.

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He also stated that it is an ‘allocated residential site’ and that the proposals adhere to the requirements of the Local Plan, adding that it will also help St Helens deliver on its housing requirements set out in the Local Plan.

Furthermore, he called on the committee to grant planning permission, in line with the recommendation, to allow the delivery of ‘much-needed’ new homes in St Helens.

Committee member Cllr Seve Gomez-Aspron, who is the deputy council leader, said it ‘looks like a well laid out housing development, next to some good green space, with some nice features’.

The site itself sits to the south of Gartons Lane and east of Jubits Lane and comprises approximately 20 hectares of greenfield land, according to a report to the committee.

The dwellings would be a mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced properties.

The report said the applicant is proposing a split of 70 per cent market housing and 30 per cent affordable housing.

It added that, in terms of the affordable housing proposals, of the 155 units proposed, 103 will be for low-cost ownership and 52 will be for affordable rent.

The application was approved, subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement – with authority delegated to the head of planning to add, amend, or remove conditions as they deem necessary.