Lancashire council sells land that's blighted by fly-tipping for just £1
A vacant and fly‑tipped Blackburn site once occupied by a school and care home is to be sold by the borough council for £1 so a social housing estate can go ahead.
The land off Crosby Road, Higher Croft, will be redeveloped by the Together Housing Group (THG) with 31 new properties for affordable rent.
The new estate will be made up of 16 one‑bedroom houses, eight two‑bedroom bungalows, two two‑bedroom houses, one three‑bedroom property and four three‑bedroom homes, all with gardens.
Now Blackburn with Darwen Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Quesir Mahmood, has authorised its sale for just £1 to ensure the scheme can go ahead.
In a report to colleagues he says: “The council‑owned land at Crosby Road, which includes the site of the former Longshaw Home for Older Persons and the demolished Longshaw Nursery site, was assembled for development of new homes for affordable rent.
“The nursery provision was relocated into the extended Longshaw Infants School.
“A comprehensive scheme of 31 mixed house types has been prepared by Together Housing Group (THG) for the site, with planning permission secured in November 2025.
“The development proposal meets the strategic need for affordable homes in the area and will provide a mix of one, two and three‑bed accommodation.
“The scheme will include 10 homes built to accessible or wheelchair‑adaptable standards.
“The council successfully secured Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) grant funding to carry out the removal of hazardous material and demolition of the old nursery building and carry out remediation of the site to enable development.
“The grant was provided on condition that the council dispose of the cleared land to a registered provider, at residual value, for the provision of new affordable homes.
“The Longshaw Nursery building was deemed to be unsuitable due to its construction containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), identified as likely to fail.
“The site has been challenging due to its uneven layout across two parcels intersected by a road and substantially higher‑than‑normal land remediation costs.
“The proposed development requires widening of Crosby Road to allow ease of vehicular access to the Longshaw School.
“A new footpath has also been created to aid pedestrian access without fear for visitors who have previously had to walk in the road to access the school.
“Independent valuation advice valued the land at £165,000.
“However, due to the high costs of land remediation and build costs the viability appraisal had produced a gap of over £280,000.
“To bridge this gap the council has been able to provide some BLRF grant towards remediation and highways infrastructure costs and agreed the sale of the land at £1.”