TOWN hall bosses at Warrington will be asked next week to approve long term priorities for housing and regeneration across the borough and two neighbouring authorities.
The Cheshire and Warrington sub-Region Homes and Communities local investment plan has been developed by Warrington, Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester unitary authorities.
It sets out specific priorities for investment in housing and regeneration up to the year 2014 and has a 20-year vision for Cheshire and Warrington to “remain and outstanding place to live and work, with an exceptional quality of place and quality of people.”
The document sets out the need to cater for growth in populaton arising from economic and demographic growth, create quality places to accommodate the growth and improve the quality and sustainability of existing communities and their housing.
Greatest priority is the challenge of providing an adequate supply of affordable housing.
The sub-region has a shortfall of between 2,606 and 2,854 affordable homes – of which between 171 and 419 are in Warrington.
The borough will have to provide aspirational homes to drive economic growth in areas like Chapelford Urban Village, Bruche Urban Village and Omega.
Priorities for the town will also be to identify windfall sites to provide housing growth, the town centre renaissance project, proposals for Riverside and Arpley Meadows, etc.
Chapelford will continue the development of 2,000 homes and while 300 are proposed for Bruche.
Kingswood is being progressed as a possible public land initiative and Omega is seen as a low carbon development with a mixture of uses including an international business location, low carbon homes and a focus for green technologies.
Total public investment proposed in these programmes over the next four years is £316 million.
It is recognised that the financial situation will have an impact on the short term ability to deliver more affordable homes.
A workshop is planned for the summer to agree how the borough council, registered social housing providers and the Homes and Community Agency can work together to develop alternative solutions responding to changes in the housing market.
