A new housing scheme on a former colliery site in Lancashire that will provide 1,800 homes has moved a step closer to fruition.
Hyndburn Council are set to authorise the start of the acquisition of the land and property required for the construction of a proposed residential relief road at the Huncoat Garden Village.
The new £6.8million highway will mark the first stage in the construction of the £460million project which will see 1,816 new homes added to the area.
The new scheme will develop the former power station and colliery sites at Huncoat, adding to the existing Huncoat village and providing 363 new affordable and social homes in the process.
Cllr Melissa Fisher, Hyndburn Council’s deputy leader and housing and regeneration boss, will ask the council’s cabinet to seek approval for the acquisition of land and property which will enable construction of the proposed relief road to start. She will also look to obtain consent to start the process towards a Compulsory Purchase Order should the council fail to acquire the necessary land and property.
The councillor will also request for delegated authority to deliver the project after the council entered a grant funding agreement with Homes England for close to £30million.
Cllr Fisher said that “good progress continues to be made” on the project, which includes the selection of a preferred contractor for the construction of the road and outline planning being submitted for the site.
The masterplan for the site will see the creation of a new village centre along with an expanded primary school, 60 acres of accessible open space, new woodland and sports facilities and additional railway station parking, which will be delivered over 15 years.
