The site is located on land south of Gartons Lane in St Helens. It is bordered by the B5419 to the west, Gartons Lane to the north, Sorrel Way and Farm Road to the east and Sutton Manor Woodland to the south.

There is not enough land to build all the new homes required in the borough on brownfield land, which has been demonstrated through the Local Plan process. By bringing forward a new ‘planned’ vision for this site, we can protect other green spaces in our community from speculative development.  

This site, land south of Gartons Lane, has been allocated for as a strategic housing site by St Helens Borough Council in the new Local Plan, which was recently approved by the Borough Council. Aiming to deliver much-needed new housing for this part of St Helens, the Council assessed the formerly agricultural site as making a ‘low overall contribution to the purposes of the Green Belt’, with robust, defensible boundaries to prevent further development. The allocation highlights the potential for a residential development to integrate well into Bold Forest Park, with connections via car, bike and foot.  

Taylor Wimpey has now acquired an interest in the site and is looking to develop it in line with the Council’s specifications, while safeguarding St Helens’ green spaces by encouraging connections between the site and Sutton Manor Woodland. See below for more information.  

In the first instance, the plans will deliver over 500 properties, including, two, three and four-bedroom houses, to suit the needs of the local area. The exact mix of tenures to be delivered will be decided by Taylor Wimpey in due course based on local housing need and the Council’s response to our planning application, which in turn will be shaped by the feedback received during this consultation. 

The proposed development will be considerate to the homes and other buildings which are adjacent to the site and will be designed to complement the surroundings and respect Sutton Manor woodland to the south. 

The homes on the north of the site will of a similar density to the properties along Gartons Lane, while to the south the development will decrease in density and be broken up by green infrastructure, play areas and open spaces, including a pond.  

The site will be permeated by a green boulevard and bisected by walking and cycle routes, which will head south into Sutton Manor Woodland. The Woodland itself will be made more accessible encouraging both new and old residents to enjoy the historic woodland, including the Dream Sculpture, for rest, relaxation and exercise. This will encourage the use of more sustainable methods of travel and provide better links with the surrounding community, helping to blend the new development with both the existing residential area to the north and the rural Green Belt to the south, while simultaneously providing new green spaces for new and existing residents alike to enjoy. 

We are committed to delivering a high-quality development that complements the character of the area, and looks to its aspirations for the future, as well as providing open spaces for the local community to enjoy. This will be achieved with homes in a wide range of styles and sizes, transitioning from the more compact residential homes near Gartons Lane towards a more open, spacious layout promotes the views of and accessibility to Sutton Manor Woodland and the Dream Sculpture.  

The southern boundary of the site will be entirely comprised of green, open spaces and footpaths leading into Sutton Manor Woodland, which will prevent any net loss in biodiversity. Pedestrian, bridleway and cycleway access will be provided into the woodland, allowing both new and old residents to enjoy this historic part of St Helens and enjoy the beautiful views of the Dream Sculpture.  

We have put sustainability, health and wellbeing at the centre of these plans – ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality, energy-efficient homes close to an historic woodland that will allow everybody to come together, whether that be to exercise, commute, or to rest or play. In addition to safeguarding the boundaries of and promoting access to Sutton Manor Woodland, our plans include a green ‘boulevard’ and multiple open spaces, such as ponds and play areas for children, where people can come together. 

As part of the planning application, Taylor Wimpey will work with the Council’s planning officers to determine the local needs for the area, and the impact that more homes may have on local amenities and infrastructure. Due to the nature and size of the site, we cannot provide new facilities on site but will work with the Council to agree a financial contribution to services for the local area, such as education or healthcare.

We want to hear from you about what is important to the local community so that we can ensure we are bringing the right proposals to the right places. Please send us your feedback to help us evolve the plans.

Our project team is undertaking an Ecology Assessment of the site to identify and monitor existing habitats and wildlife on or near the site. The results of this will be discussed with the Council’s officers to determine how the development may impact local ecology, and what we can do to mitigate this impact and enhance the local environment, preventing any net loss in biodiversity. 

A detailed Transport Assessment will be submitted as part of the planning application. This document will include a comprehensive description of the existing site and its location, the surrounding local highway network, highway safety data, the development proposals, relevant transport policy and the accessibility of the site by sustainable modes of transport. It will also consider any potential impacts upon the surrounding highway network through detailed traffic modelling exercises and a framework for any localised mitigation where appropriate.

From an accessibility perspective the proposed development is well placed to benefit from local existing facilities complementary to residential uses throughout St Helens; places of worship, primary schools, convenience stores, takeaways, restaurants, pharmacies, public houses, supermarkets and many other employment and leisure opportunities. A segregated on-carriageway cycle route runs along the site frontage on the B5419 Jubits Lane providing an excellent and convenient facility for prospective residents. There are bus stops situated along both Jubits Lane and Gartons Lane which provide services between St Helens and various destinations including Widnes and Sutton Manor.  Lea Green Railway Station is also accessible within an approximate 1.5km walk from the site, or via a multimodal journey by bus or cycle.

It is envisaged that the primary access into the site would take the form of a new junction onto the B5419 Jubits Lane. This would provide an opportunity maximise connectivity between the site and the strategic highway connections to the south and south-west of the site. A secondary access could also be provided from Gartons Lane to allow more direct access to the north and eastern areas of the site. Both junctions would be designed in accordance with St Helens Borough Council’s Design Guide and likely to take the form of three-arm priority junction arrangements.

Taylor Wimpey is committed to the principles of sustainable development and will seek to influence the travel choices of residents on site with the implementation of a Framework Travel Plan (FTP), which will be submitted as part of the planning application. In accordance with local and national policies to protect and enhance the environment, and to encourage sustainable development, the FTP will propose a series of measures to encourage travel by sustainable transport modes and provide a framework for ongoing monitoring and review of the document.

Our public consultation will launch on Monday 25 July and run until Monday 15 August 2022. At the end of the consultation, our project team will review all the feedback submitted by the community and, where possible, feed this into our designs. Once finalised, we will submit a full planning application to St Helens Borough Council’s later this year. We hope that the Council will determine the application in early 2023. 

Following our community consultation, Taylor Wimpey’s project team will review the feedback and the designs. Once finalised, we will submit a full planning application to St Helens Borough Council’s later this year. We hope that the Council will determine the application in early 2023 and that construction will start in 2024, with completions in early 2025, subject to planning approval dates. 

You can provide your feedback in a number of different ways:

• Online via our website form
• Sending your written feedback to Freepost SHAPE TOMORROW
• Emailing newhomesforgartonslane@havingyoursay.co.uk
• Calling Community Information Line 0333 358 0502 (Mon-Fri, 9am – 5.30pm, voicemail facility included)
• Visiting our public exhibition at St Michael & All Angels Church Hall on Wednesday 10 August, between 2pm and 8pm