A huge new estate with 185 homes in north Widnes has been backed by planning chiefs, but one raised concerns over a lack of local school places.

Halton’s development management committee unanimously backed the scheme when it met earlier this week, despite concerns being raised over lack of school provision – with the committee being told 30 Widnes school pupils are currently having to attend schools in Runcorn.

Planning permission has already been granted nearby to two separate new estates, consisting of 51 and 99 properties, which would bring the total number of new properties in that area of Widnes to 335.

The new Bloor Homes scheme will be built on farmland in Farnworth off South Lane. The 18-acre patch of greenfield land spans three fields and is bordered to the north by Derby Road, the Liverpool to Manchester rail line to the south and another housing development to the west being built by Prospect Homes.

Addressing the meeting, committee member Cllr Ged Philbin, said: "There are a lot of developments there and a lack of schools. There are 30 Widnes school children travelling to secondary schools in Runcorn."

But a report to the committee said that the was 'sufficient
capacity' within the borough in terms of primary and secondary school
provision based on existing population levels.

It said that the latest population projections did not predict significant increases in the number of school age residents over the lifetime of the council's current planning strategy up to 2037.

Dubbed ‘Aspen Brook’, 20 per cent of the new properties will be classed as ‘affordable’ and made available for shared ownership, affordable rent or as 'first homes' - a government scheme with states houses must be discounted by a minimum of 30 per cent against market value.

The estate is being built on former Green Belt - protected land designed to guard against urban encroachment into the countryside. The site was removed from the Green Belt when Halton’s Full Council voted to approve a new Delivery and Allocations Local Plan in 2022.

Six objections had been received, raising concerns including a ‘need for more schools, doctors surgeries and dentists’ and that there were ‘already a large number of properties recently approved', and that the area 'cannot cope with such a large increase in the number of properties'.

The committee voted unanimously to delegate authority to the operational director to grant approval once issues relating to drainage and ecology are ironed out.