Success of Preston newbuild schemes is evidence of ‘genuine housing need’ says developer

Rosewood Garden at Warton has proved a success, says developer Elan Homes. Pic: Elan Homes.

Elan Homes claims the demand from buyers at three out of four North West sites rescued from administrators shows the ‘genuine housing need’ in those areas, particularly around Preston.

Manchester-based Stewart Milne Homes North West England (Developments) went into administration in January 2024. Cheshire-based Elan acquired four sites – two in Lancashire and two in Cheshire – from administrators in June.

In Lancashire the homebuilder has created 16 homes at Rosewood Gardens in Warton, and eight at Acord Meadows in Broughton.

Elan regional sales and marketing director Marie Morris explained: “There was a great amount of work and discussions with regulators before we could complete the acquisition of the sites from the administrators. It’s a credit to the team that we were able to do this so promptly.

“To ensure we could start work on the sites at the earliest opportunity we opted to build the homes in accordance with the existing planning consents. This enabled us to support the local economy by providing jobs in the construction industry and helping to address the housing shortage.

“For the wider communities, it’s ensured that the sites have been bought back into good use. If we hadn’t stepped in, they may have been left part-built and this could have had a negative impact on those neighbourhoods.”

Initially Elan prioritised contacting those people whose home buying journey had been stalled to explore how the business could help them achieve their longed-for move. The homes were then released for general sale.

All of the eight homes at Acorn Meadows have been sold, while at nearby Rosewood Gardens just four of the 16 homes are yet to be sold. The largest of the sites, Oak Grange in Congleton is also selling fast. Since the start of the year more than a dozen reservations have been taken.

“The success of these four developments demonstrates that there’s a genuine housing need in those areas. It also indicates that buyers trust Elan to deliver,” Marie added.

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