NEW HOMES BY SEFTON COUNCIL’S HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COMPANY UNDERWAY
Construction work on Sandy Brook, the first development by the Sefton Council’s wholly-owned housing development company, Sandway Homes Ltd, is now underway.
With support from Homes England, main contractors, Barnfield Construction Limited, have cleared the site and started piling work for the foundations of the development’s 48 high-quality, two, three & four-bed homes.
The development is located on land next to Ainsdale’s Meadow Lane on the former site of St. John Stone R.C. Primary School. It takes its name from the adjacent Sandy Brook, one of three watercourses which forms part of the Three Pools Waterway. This waterway forms a natural boundary between Sefton and West Lancashire a scenic backdrop, with views across rural meadow and farmland.
Sandy Brook is the first of the Sandway Homes developments to reach construction stage. The properties, which are a mix of detached and semi-detached, are named after wild birds that can be seen locally. Styles include the Peregrine, Kingfisher, Sandpiper, Sanderling, Curlew, Lapwing, Wagtail and Skylark.
The majority of these homes will be for sale on the open market and all commercial returns from Sandway Homes developments will be returned to the Council for reinvestment in the Borough.
Established in 2018, Sandway Homes directly supports Sefton Council’s Vision 2030 commitment to creating 11,000 new, high-quality homes across the Borough by 2030. Vision 2030 was drawn up by key stakeholders including local residents in 2016. Sandway’s aim is to develop the types of high-quality, mixed-tenure housing that commercial developers might not consider, in line with the Council’s housing policy commitments and Vision 2030. This includes social housing and affordable homes. Another site is now in development, Hey Farm Gardens at nearby Crossens, for which Sandway Homes has obtained planning permission for 30, two, three and 4-bed homes.
Sandway is also planning a development at Sefton Grange, on the edge of Netherton, comprising of two, three and 4-bed homes and one and 2-bed apartments. While the majority of these will be for sale on the open market, Sefton Grange will also provide Sefton Council with its first new rented housing since its stock transfer in 2006, in the form of nine apartments.
Cllr Ian Maher, Leader of Sefton Council, said:
“I am delighted to see our ambitious commitment to creating housing that will give high-quality living choices to local residents actually taking shape on site.
“By establishing Sandway Homes, we are ethically and sustainably creating people-centred homes that will provide more housing choice across Sefton.
“Plus, any funds generated will be used to support other Sefton Council developments and services.”
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, said:
“Sandway Homes and Sefton Council are fully aligned in our commitment to providing people with a choice of new homes while at the same time minimising any disruption or inconvenience to existing local residents.
“By delivering attractive, high-quality homes across the Borough, including social and affordable housing, these developments can only enhance Sefton’s quality of Place and Communities.”
Sandway’s Managing Director, Christian Rogers, said:
“Sandway Homes is an exciting new venture that strikes just the right balance between achieving strong commercial performance whilst directly supporting the Borough’s strategic objectives for new quality housing and the creation of resilient communities with quality housing that meets the highest ethical and environmental standards.”
Sandway’s Main Contractor, Barnfield Construction is part of the Barnfield Group who are North West-based Contractors, Developers and Investors, established over 45 years ago. Barnfield are employing a number of Sefton construction workers for the Sandy Brook project. Barnfield are accredited Ambassadors of the Considerate Constructors Scheme and are committed to upholding the values of Sandway Homes and Sefton Council.
Tim Webber MBE, Managing Director and Chairman of the Barnfield Group said:
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Sandway Homes and Sefton Council on the Meadow Lane development. We have many development partnerships with councils in the North West, where we have a successful track record of delivering high-quality homes, proven to benefit local areas. We look forward to working on other local schemes together in the near future.”
