A SENIOR St Helens councillor has welcomed the approval of two housing projects which he says will provide much-needed "affordable housing" to the borough.

As the Star reported, planning permission has been granted for 475 new homes across two separate developments, one in Rainford and the other in Sutton. The council says 260 of the approved homes are classed as "affordable".  

At a planning committee at the town hall this week, an application was heard for 307 houses on land adjacent to Rookery Lane in Rainford by Miller Homes. The proposals had proved controversial in the community, with more than 200 objections lodged against them but councillors gave the application the nod on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, plans for 168 homes on a vacant industrial estate on Lancots Lane, Sutton, as part of a social housing scheme by Stanley Investments Limited and Torus 62 Limited, were also heard.  

St Helens Star: A photograph of the Rookery Lane site in RainfordA photograph of the Rookery Lane site in Rainford (Image: St Helens Council Planning Portal)

The council says both sites were identified as suitable for development in the Local Plan and help address the borough’s "housing requirements". The council said that the latest data showing that there are 6,953 people on a waiting list for an affordable home in St Helens.    

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As part of the Rookery Lane development, a significant Section 106 contribution totalling up to more than £1m has been brought forward by the developer to improve local infrastructure and services in Rainford, including public transport, active travel, educational and healthcare provision improvements -   while the Lancots Lane scheme will complement other local developments, including Moss Nook, to bring a good mix of housing to the area.  

St Helens Star: Cllr Richard McCauleyCllr Richard McCauley (Image: St Helens Council)

Councillor Richard McCauley, St Helens Borough Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and planning said: “During my time on the council I don’t recall there being a planning committee with as many affordable housing items on one agenda, which is great to see and is proof that our Local Plan is addressing the housing crisis and the needs of residents in our borough.    

“A huge amount of credit deserves to go to officers for putting together these first-class reports that were balanced, setting out the merits of each development and I’m proud to have been part of the planning committee to approve them. Everyone deserves the right to quality housing and schemes like this will allow more people to benefit from this.”