Plans to develop almost 100 homes on the former Woodlands site in Chorley are set to progress with a housebuilder appointed to lead the project.
Last year, Chorley Council announced plans for the site which involved securing planning permission and then selling it to a developer to complete the construction. Its planning committee has now approved the application and the council has separately approved the sale and appointment of a housebuilder.
It means the site which was previously used by Lancashire College will become a residential development of up to 97 homes, 30% of which will be affordable housing to help meet local demand. The new homes are expected to support a range of people, including families and first-time buyers.
The site was also previously used by Lancashire County Council (LCC) as an educational training facility with some office use and Edge Hill University (EHU) historically provided teacher training facilities from the site before relocating to their Ormskirk Campus several years ago. It has remained vacant since July 2021, used only temporarily as a COVID testing facility within the car park and as temporary parking for local events.
Chorley Council bought the site in 2023 so it could ensure it was developed in an appropriate way and since then it has had to carefully manage the demolition of unsafe and derelict buildings to make the area secure and ready for future development.
It has also managed anti-social behaviour, secured the site, obtained planning permission and has now progressed to tendering the site for sale, meaning that it can now be brought back into positive use for the community.
With the council already securing outline planning permission, it will now be for the housebuilder to submit the detailed stage of the development for planning, in line with what has already been approved.
Cllr Alistair Bradley, leader of Chorley Council, said: “We’re really pleased that we are able to make effective use of a brownfield site as the former Woodlands site has stood empty for years so it is great that we can now bring it back into use.
“We acquired the site from Lancashire County Council after they were unable to find a use for it. From the outset, the intention has been to deliver new homes on the site, supporting local housing needs and aligning with our emerging Local Plan.
“This is a positive step for the area, helping to deliver much-needed homes, including affordable housing, and creating a safer, more welcoming environment for residents.
“We continue to retain a further element of the wider site with an aspiration to develop commercial/training provision that can add to the economic growth of Chorley in the future on a site that is well connected to other parts of the borough.”
