Plans for more than 300 new homes in Southport have now been given the green light by Sefton Council.
Wain Homes’ development will result in 328 homes built on farmland off Bankfield Lane in Churchtown.
“Phase One” of the scheme included 128 homes and was approved in August 2018.
The Warrington housebuilder’s “Phase Two” – plans for a further 200 homes on the northern side of the land – behind the Mallards, Three Pools and The Crescent – has now been granted permission to go ahead.
More than 250 people signed a petition objecting to the development on the grounds of flooding, Japanese Knotweed and access in and out of the site.
Residents also said sewer flooding has occurred in Churchtown and Crossens for decades, and when the floodwater depletes it leaves excrement on the roadways and pavements.
However, planning chiefs have stated a “site-wide strategy” for foul and surface water drainage must be implemented before any development begins.
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This is just one of a huge 40 conditions imposed on the plans.
Others include procedures for “maintaining good relations” with people living nearby, a lorry routine schedule, measures to control flooding on site during construction, and a report confirming the remediation treatment has been carried out and that the site is free of Japanese Knotweed.
The site in total is 41 acres. The 128-unit phase is to be a mixture of houses and apartments, all of which will be two storeys in height, and will include 48 affordable homes.
Detail on the makeup of the second phase is yet to be given, with only “outline” planning permission granted at this stage.
On its website, Wain Homes says [phase one] is “a superb new development of 2, 3, 4 & 5 bedroom family homes situated in a semi-rural location on the outskirts of Southport”.
The completion date is given as “late 2020” – though this is, it says, subject to change.
