Bulldozed South Ribble school to be replaced by affordable housing scheme

The site of a former primary school will be turned into housing if planners give the nod.
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A development of 50 affordable homes on land where Lostock Hall Community Primary once stood has been submitted to South Ribble Council.

The school shut down in 2010 and the site off Avondale Drive has been unused ever since.

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Now Homes England, who took over the plot from Lancashire County Council, have revealed a scheme to build a mixture of one, two, three and four bed homes on part of the land, with a large area of the school playing field retained for public open space.

The empty site awaiting development.The empty site awaiting development.
The empty site awaiting development.
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The plans have been submitted for approval even though Homes England have so far not carried out any public consultation with neighbouring residents.

Documents presented to the planning department show housebuilder Westchurch has been lined up to complete the "high quality" development. The company is already at an advanced stage in negotiations to transfer the letting and management of the properties to an established local registered provider.

The school opened in 1908 and remained at the Avondale Drive site for 102 years before pupils moved to their current location in Linden Drive.

The 102-year-old school was closed in 2010 and demolished last year.The 102-year-old school was closed in 2010 and demolished last year.
The 102-year-old school was closed in 2010 and demolished last year.
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The two old buildings remained boarded up until they were finally demolished in December 2021.

The new homes will comprise eight one-bed apartments, 15 two-bed semi-detached/mews houses, 21 three-bed semis/mews and six four-bed semis.

If the development gets council approval, building could start early next year with a final hand-over aimed for 2024.

"Subject to the grant of planning permission all proposed dwellings will be transferred to a RP (registered provider)," says a planning statement.

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"Discussions are on-going between the applicant and a local RP which should be concluded shortly.

"The land has remained unused and inaccessible to the public since 2010 and has not had a usable amenity open space or school playing field function (or any other playing field use) for more than 12 years.

"The land is not fulfilling a recreational need or requirement for the area."

The developer says the proposal for 50 units would provide "a significant contribution to the annual requirement of 208 units (in South Ribble)."

Eleven trees will be removed from the site to make way for the development, with 31 new ones being planted to compensate along with shrubs and hedgerows.