Miller Homes purchases land for 300-home development in Rainford

The Star reported last November after planning permission was granted for the controversial proposals to create the houses in Rainford, despite resident objections to the scheme.

Miller Homes has announced the successful purchase of the land for the development on a 32-acre site off Higher Lane and Rookery Lane.

Dial House Place, named after the nearby Dial House Wood, will include 307 houses and apartments, offering a mix of one, two, three, and four-bedroom properties, around a third of which are set to be affordable homes.

The plans for the site were approved by the council's planning committee (Image: St Helens Council Planning Portal)

Proposals were initially accepted in 2023 by St Helens Council, with Planning Committee members voting in favour of the scheme. A section 106 agreement accompanied the planning permission, which includes contributions to Mersey Travel, secondary education and NHS services.

It is anticipated that the total Section 106 contributions will be upwards of £1m, Miller Homes said.

It is expected that ground will break next month on the site and work will begin shortly thereafter, with the first homes forecast for completion in early 2025.

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Miller Homes said it will put sustainability at the heart of Dial House Place, with new green spaces and electric vehicle charging points for every home. The developer claims the project  will also bring “much-needed new employment opportunities to the local area”.

John Hardy, land director at Miller Homes said: “The borough of St Helens is growing and the demand for quality housing is greater than ever.

"It is our ambition to support the sustainable growth of Rainford by providing a mixture of stylish modern homes in a variety of policy compliant sizes and designs.”

Among Miller Homes’ recent projects in the area is a new neighbourhood in Prescot at Sonnet Gate.