'Final part' of Buckshaw Village development approved for housing

Persimmon Homes has been granted permission for the dwellings on land which forms the final allocations for development within the part of the site centred around the former Royal Ordnance Factory.

That means the so-called "Group 1" location in the village will now be minus any of the commercial properties that had previously also been envisaged for it.

Chorley Council’s planning services manager Adele Hayes told a meeting of the authority’s planning committee that the proposal represented “a departure” from Chorley’s local plan, which is intended to dictate the shape of development in the borough through until 2026.

She said that the housebuilding would mean there was now “no land remaining for employment uses” on what was expected to be a mixed-use section of Buckshaw Village.

However, Ms. Hayes added that the plans – which were unanimiusly approved by the committee - would comply with “the spirit” of a Central Lancashire-wide strategy for development by delivering more homes than had been expected.

“It has been demonstrated that there would remain a sufficient quantity and variety of employment land within the borough following the loss of this site for employment,” she told councillors.

Twenty-four of the properties to be built will fall into the affordable homes category - with 17 social rented dwellings and seven in shared ownership. Overall, the estate will be made up of six one-bed apartments, 24 two-bed apartments, 47 three-bedroomed houses and three four-bedroomed houses.

Committee member Alistair Morwood - who is also Chorley Council’s cabinet member for planning - said that onlookers may be “surprised there is any land left in Buckshaw Village”, but added that the site under consideration was one of the last available areas.

Fellow member, Cllr Jean Sherwood, told the meeting that she did not believe the 80 homes being proposed would “make that much difference" to the village, which comprises more than 4,000 properties which have been built since the mid-2000s.

The Royal Ordnance Factory site is one of two allocated housing areas within Buckshaw. There are also two sites earmarked solely for employment use.

Persimmon will pay £30,000 towards improving biodiversity elsewhere in the borough and make a contribution of £151,000 for the provision of public open space for children and young people.

Only one objection was received to the latest development, based on a claimed lack of capacity in the local GP surgery and schools.