Your Housing Group gets green light for garden village development

Knowsley Borough Council has approved the outline plan submitted by Your Housing Group for up to 377 affordable homes in Whiston, Knowsley.The Warrington-based housing provider purchased the 28-acre site – located off Windy Arbour Road – at the end of 2020, and has since been undertaking remediation work to prepare the site for development.The new homes will be part of Knowsley Borough Council’s Halsnead Garden Village, the largest combined housing and employment site in the Liverpool City Region and one of only 14 sites in England awarded Garden Village status by the government.The plans outline a development of 377 homes that will be split between affordable rent and shared ownership options – bringing a mix of affordable rental accommodation and a range of affordable home ownership options to the area.There will be a mix of one- and two-bed apartments; apartments for the over-55s; and two-, three-, and four-bed houses.The development forms part of the group’s strategy to build high-quality affordable housing and create “thriving communities” across the north-west of England and in areas in Staffordshire and Yorkshire.Richard Jones, director of Growth for Your Housing Group, said: “Approval of the outline plan for this development within the garden village is [a] welcome step forward in delivering a range of fantastic new homes.“Your Housing Group has ambitious growth and construction plans to deliver much needed affordable housing across the region, and the garden village principles with community facilities and green spaces are very much in line with our vision to not just delivery quality homes, but to unlock affordable living and build thriving communities.”Your Housing Group planning application was developed in line with Knowsley Council’s requirements and the Garden Village design principles.This development will be funded through Your Housing Group’s strategic partnership with Homes England.Your Housing Group was announced as one of the agency’s strategic partners in January 2019, receiving £87.5m in funding in line with the government’s aspiration to provide 40,000 affordable new homes across the country.