PLANS to build more than 800 works on a large portion of the Cowley Hill Works site are being drawn up.

With some sections of the Cowley Hill Works being redundant for a decade due to new technologies at Pilkington Glass, 104 acres of Cowley Hill Works, off College Street, have been deemed surplus to requirements.

This land has now been purchased by contaminated land specialists, BXB Cowley Hill Ltd, which aims to build homes at the site.

The site has already been recognised by St Helens Council as suitable for re-development and is the largest residential allocation within the authority’s emerging Local Development Plan.

BXB Cowley Hill Ltd is now working closely with Pilkington, which will continue to occupy 40 acres of the area, to ensure their long-term future at Cowley Hill and to provide a viable brownfield housing site within St Helens.

The draft Local Plan has earmarked the site for more than 800 new homes which, once planning permission is granted, is expected to be delivered within a five to seven year timeframe.

It is also considered that the regeneration of the site could reduce local pressure on Green Belt land within the borough and deliver strategic regeneration benefits to the town.

The site’s developers hope that the delivery of new, high quality housing close to the town centre will also provide a boost to town centre-based businesses.

BXB Cowley Hill Ltd is currently preparing a masterplan for the site, with a planning application expected to be submitted by the end of the year.

Ahead of the masterplan, a two-stage public consultation will be held, with the first round focusing on the vision for the site.

Residents will be provided with a leaflet advising of the plans and ways to provide feedback, whilst a dedicated project website can be found at cowleyhillworks.co.uk.

Gary Goodman, director at BXB Cowley Hill Ltd, said: “Cowley Hill Works presents a fantastic opportunity for St Helens to deliver much-needed residential land within a sustainability location whilst ensuring the longevity of a key local employer.

"From the outset our approach to this site has been collaborative and this approach will continue as we seek to ensure the delivery of this complex brownfield site, which has laid dormant for many years.

“Cowley Hill Works is the first joint venture between BXB Land Solutions Ltd and Promenade Estates, both of whom have a wealth of development expertise. We are committed to delivering a development that will provide high quality homes to the St Helens residential market.

"This site also presents the opportunity for other key stakeholders to work along us and ensure our initial investment acts as a catalysis and ensure longer-term strategic benefits can be delivered within this locality, which responds to the local need and assist the borough in securing their long-term objectives.

"Against the backdrop of our collaborative approach, we are holding two key stages of public consultation and we are looking forward to local people engaging with us during this time.”

NSG Pilkington UK Ltd will continue to operate on 40 acres of the land, in its current factory at the east of the site.

It is understood that the receipts generated from the sale of the land will be re-invested by NSG Group into their St Helens operations.

Gary Charlton, strategic program director, at NSG Pilkington UK Ltd, added: "Much of the land at Cowley Hill Works has sat redundant for a number of years and against the background of the local housing need, we are confident that the re-use of our surplus land for its allocated land use will benefit the whole of St Helens.

"We will continue to operate to the east of the site and look forward to working alongside BXB Cowley Hill Ltd to deliver improvements to our current facility.”