An estate made up entirely of homes classed as affordable could be on its way to a Preston suburb.

Plans have been lodged for the proposed development – to the east of Sidgreaves Lane in Cottam – which would feature 102 properties in a range of sizes and styles.

Breck Homes, the firm behind the scheme, says that its blueprint for the site would “help to meet a significant need for various types of affordable housing in Preston, catering to the needs of several different groups”.

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As the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed last week, there is a major shortfall in the number of affordable homes being delivered in Preston each year – with almost 400 more estimated to be required annually.

In order for housing to fall into the affordable category, it must be available to rent or buy at 80 percent or less of local market prices.

In documents submitted with its planning application to Preston City Council, Bamber Bridge-based Breck Homes says that the dwellings on the estate would be managed by a “locally active” registered housing provider upon completion, suggesting that they will be offered for rent.

If approved, the properties would run the gamete from 1-bed maisonettes to two, three and four-bedroomed houses. Nineteen of the maisonettes are proposed to be ground-floor, level-access homes designed to suit single, elderly or disabled occupants.

The site is allocated for housing under Preston’s local plan and sits within a wider area of extensive development in the north western corner of the city. The plot is to the east of the recently-opened Edith Rigby Way – the Preston Western Distributor Road – and south of Avice Pimblett Way, the east-west link route that opened as part of the same road scheme.

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The layout of the proposed development has been dedicated by the “irregular” shape of the site, which is further complicated by the presence of overhead powerlines in the area, meaning that a small enclave at the southern edge of the estate will be accessed separately. The bulk of the properties will be laid out in a cul -de-sac style, while there will also be dwellings that front Sidgreaves Lane itself.

The plans include a “landscape buffer” along the perimeter – part of which will include the retention of existing trees – and a central area of open space that will also incorporate a pond for sustainable drainage.

The application will be determined by the city council’s planning committee in due course.

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