HOMES England has acquired 34 hectares of land in Warrington – creating what is now the agency’s largest development site in the north of England.

The land has been secured within the residential allocation known as the South East Warrington Urban Extension (SEWUE),

The Government’s housing and regeneration agency now holds around 250 hectares of land in south-east Warrington, and control of the development of the allocation in Warrington Borough Council’s Local Plan.

Once completed, the site will feature up to 4,200 new homes, 30 per cent of which will be affordable.

Homes England says the site will also have community facilities including schools, recreational spaces, local centres with health facilities, and green spaces for both existing and new communities to enjoy.

A spokesman said: “The newly acquired land, near to Stretton, is critical to the entire development’s success, making it possible to put essential access infrastructure in place that unlocks the delivery of the whole allocation.

“This consolidation of ownership represents a significant milestone in the agency’s placemaking mission.

“The scale of the development will make a substantial contribution to meeting housing needs in Warrington and within the north west region.”

Alison Crofton, chief property officer at Homes England, commented: “This acquisition is the culmination of focused work by the team and represents a brilliant place opportunity.

“This is a clear example of Homes England’s unique role to enable, deliver, and demonstrate effective placemaking at scale.

“We negotiated with multiple stakeholders to successfully complete this acquisition, alongside ongoing community engagement.

“We are looking forward to progressing to the next stage of planning and seeing a new community being delivered.”

The news was also welcomed by Cllr John Kerr-Brown, Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for housing services.

He added: “We are looking forward to working with Homes England on this important scheme.

“It supports our ongoing work to deliver high-quality housing – including affordable homes – in every part of the borough, meeting local demand and supporting Warrington’s growth.

“Following the acquisition, Homes England will complete a site-wide development framework this year, laying the groundwork for future planning applications.”