News Archive

Start made on £100 Million urban village development

Demolition of the former Vulcan Works at Newton-le-Willows, where rail locomotives were once built, is making way for a £100 million urban village development by Key Property Investments (KPI) and Ashtenne Land Ltd (Ashtenne), which will become one of the North West region¹s major new residential communities.

KPI is the joint venture company between St Modwen Properties PLC and Salhia Real estate Co,, and Ashtenne is a Warner Estate Holdings PLC company.

A total of 630 homes, a local centre and enhanced sports facilities are planned on the 64-acre site which was acquired in 2002 and where a programme of remediation works is proceeding alongside the demolition.

The demolition involves the removal of more than 500,000 sq ft of buildings from the site which has been in industrial use for 170 years.

Development, which will be phased over six years, will begin next year with the initial phase that will include the construction of new roads and 150 dwellings.

Ten per cent of the total housing will be affordable homes. Planning consent has also been granted for shops, and a local sports centre which will be created by the redevelopment and enhancement of the former sports field and include a range of facilities catering for football, rugby, tennis and bowls.

Ray Hill of St Modwen, the UK¹s leading regeneration specialist, said: “We are very pleased that the project is underway at last. The site preparation is moving forward apace and new roads and services will be laid early next year when the scope of the urban village will become apparent.”

Notes to Editors:

The site was acquired in 2002 from Marconi in two separate deals by KPI and Ashtenne. Plans for the redevelopment of the former works site were initiated and over the next four years there were lengthy discussions, and a planning application was submitted in October 2003. The application was called in and was the subject of a three-day public inquiry. In the meantime, remediation work has been carried out to make the site ready for development.

For further information contact Ray Hill of St Modwen (0121 222 9400).

Issued by Paul Raymer of Howle Chapman Raymer (0121 313 1000).