LCC-owned farmland earmarked for 120 houses goes up for sale across from Hutton Grammar School

The land - opposite Hutton Grammar School, off Liverpool Road - totals approximately 5.807 hectares (14.35 acres), and is adjacent to the Walton Gardens development completed in 2017.

The site has been identified by South Ribble Borough Council as a proposed housing allocation site in the Central Lancashire Local Plan 2023-2041, which is currently out for consultation. The Plan has been in the works for more than six years and is now being readied to be presented to an independent planning inspector this summer for assessment and approval.

It sets out how Preston, South Ribble and Chorley will will work to deliver the number of new homes demanded by the government – and formally sets aside the land on which it can be built.

Overall, between 2023 and 2041, the minimum requirements for each area will be:

Preston – 9,360 homes;

South Ribble – 8,280 homes;

Chorley – 6,015 homes.

A large advertisment board has been erected at the entrance to the land and locals have taken to social media to vent their frustration that the land has gone up for sale before the consultation period is over and the Local Plan has been ratified.

What does LCC say?

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "The county council has an extensive varied property portfolio that includes assets that have been in our ownership for a considerable number of years. One such asset is a section of agricultural land situated in the village of Hutton, which has been in our ownership since the 1920s and formed part of the bigger Hutton Agricultural Estate.

"This agricultural land is situated in the village of Hutton, which is bypassed by the A59, giving the village good transport links. Given the location and clear development opportunities, this land has been brought forward to provide much-needed housing, in line with our economic ambitions.

"We expect the sale of this land to generate a significant capital receipt for the council, which will help with maintaining our public services, and we have already had a number of interested parties enquire about its purchase."

The land is being offered for sale by way of formal tender, which can be submitted no later than 10am on Friday, May 9. It is proposed that recommendations regarding tender returns will be put to Lancashire County Council's Cabinet for a decision on Thursday, June 5. Parties submitting tender returns will be notified within two weeks of the date of decision as to the success of their bid.