Housing firm Torus has received approval for its £23m plans to build 131 homes on former school playing fields in Merseyside.
The North West growth and regeneration group will now build a mixture of two, three and four bedroom houses on council-owned land off Astley Road and Knowsley Lane in Huyton.
The firm said the scheme marks its commitment to "bolstering the affordable housing and job market in the area", and it will now work in partnership with Knowsley Council and its charitable arm, Torus Foundation.
The houses, which will be rent-to-buy, will be split between two neighbouring plots. One site, to the west of Knowsley Lane Primary School, covers the now-overgrown land formerly occupied by the primary school’s west wing.
That building was later the council’s training and conference centre, but was knocked down in 2012.
Managing director of Torus, Chris Bowen, said; “After the success of The Maples, investing in the growth of Knowsley continues to be a priority for us as a Group and we will continue to build – literally and figuratively – on the works we have started in the area.
“This scheme marks our commitment to bolstering the affordable housing and job market in the area and we will actively be working with local partners to recruit local talent to build the type of houses needed in the area.
“This is an exciting scheme and one which encapsulates our ongoing and sustainable approach to generating value for the people who live and work in Knowsley – specifically in the wake of COVID-19 – to create a thriving, supported and strong community.”
Due to start on site before the end of the year and complete in Autumn 2022, the development will be supported by the necessary infrastructure to ensure it can be developed without impacting on the surrounding community, including a dedicated 500kVA Substation, highway and drainage infrastructure.
It's hoped to appeal to people hoping to get on the property ladder, and will be available at a reduced rent for the first five years, providing the opportunity to save for a deposit.
After five years, residents will then be able to buy their home outright, or through shared ownership.
It's the second significant investment Torus has made in Knowsley in the past two years following the group’s £25m Maples development, an independent living complex for over 55s, supported living bungalows and affordable family homes in Kirkby.
The news comes after Torus last week revealed plans to build hundreds of homes on Lightbody Street in the North Docks as part of a £30m transformation.
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