Part of what is due to be a huge new employment, retail and industrial park at the end of the M65 at Bamber Bridge has been sold off for housing.
Lancashire County Council is progressing its plans for ‘Lancashire Central’ – at Cuerden – and has decided to offload part of the site for new homes.
Rowland Homes has secured a seven-acre plot of land near Staninfield Lane in Farington and has submitted plans for 75 new homes.
Read more: Lancashire Central development may change to accommodate Royal Preston Hospital move
The wider Cuerden-based site is also earmarked to be home to a new Royal Preston Hospital – subject to a consultation by NHS bosses and confirmation from the government on funding.
Jonathan Pickthall, Land Director at Rowland, said: “We are very pleased to have acquired this strategic site in Lancashire, which provides an excellent location for a high-quality sustainable development.
“We look forward to delivering this first phase of development, which will help transform the local area alongside the new employment opportunities proposed by Maple Grove / Lancashire County Council and the new Lancashire Cricket Facility that is being constructed opposite the site.”
Rowland Homes say they hope to secure planning permission, from South Ribble Borough Council, during the course of 2025.
The housing development would be a mix of three and four-bed homes including semi-detached and detached properties.
Lancashire Central, which was previously known as the Cuerden development, is the new name for the ill-fated IKEA scheme when the Swedish furniture giant had eyed up opening its first Lancashire store. But the previous scheme collapsed in 2018 when IKEA pulled out.
Now the new Lancashire Central Scheme, which Maple Grove Developments are marketing on behalf of the county council, wants to put offices, a hotel, new shops and more on the 1.7million square foot site. The county council say the Cuerden scheme could bring 5,600 new jobs to the area.
County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet member for economic development and growth at Lancashire County Council, said: “Lancashire Central is one of the biggest employment development opportunities in the North West. Well-connected just next to the national motorway network, it offers a fantastic location. This site for new homes is part of unlocking the wider site’s regional and national significant employment potential, creating growth here in Lancashire.”
James Scott, Director at Maple Grove Developments (part of the Eric Wright Group), said: “The sale of the residential land to Rowland represents a major milestone for the wider Lancashire Central project and provides the catalyst for both significant further development and associated infrastructure works. It’s an exciting period of time for the project for which we are planning to be on site later this year.”
Subscribe: Keep in touch directly with the latest headlines from Blog Preston, join our WhatsApp channel and subscribe for our twice-a-week email newsletter. Both free and direct to your phone and inbox.
Read more: See the latest Preston news and headlines
Read more: See the latest South Ribble news and headlines