Full council meeting confirms acquisition of Sefton's first new council homes in since 2006

Last night’s meeting of Sefton Council agreed the acquisition of 18 new apartments that will be the Borough’s first new council housing in since 2006.

Work underway
Work is already underway at Sandway Homes’ Molyneux Gardens development at Buckley Hill Lane in Netherton, which will include a mix of one- and two-bedroom Council homes across two attractive apartment blocks. The wider development also includes a range of quality two-, three- and four-bed open market homes, with the first being released for sale soon.

Sandway Homes is the arm’s length housing development company set up by Sefton Council in 2018.

Reduced carbon footprint
High efficiency boilers and heating systems and energy-efficient designs with high thermal efficiency values to reduce heat loss are among the measures that will help reduce the Buckley Hill Lane site’s carbon footprint and offset its impact on climate change.

Each of the new properties at the Buckley Hill development and to the apartment block will have electric vehicle charging points. Ground floor apartments will be built to meet national accessibility and adaptability standards.

Sefton Council agreed a Supplementary Capital Estimate of £2,222,783 funded through affordable housing capital receipts, historic right to buy sharing agreement receipts and Homes England grant funding to purchase the properties. The scheme has also supported with £1.05m from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Rent from the properties will be reinvested into Sefton Council’s Housing Programme.

High-quality accommodation
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing said: “We have long recognised that local people need homes, and this scheme will secure some of that much-needed, high-quality accommodation.

“We approved 18 new properties last night, but this just marks the start of our drive to re-establish a strong council housing stock in Sefton as well as confirming Sefton Council’s decision to establish Sandway Homes in 2018 was right.”

Ambitions
When the acquisition of the 18 properties was approved by Sefton Council’s Cabinet, Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “This is just scratching the surface of my housebuilding ambitions. Through my Brownfield Land Fund, we’ve committed £60m to build 4,000 homes across our region, helping local people to realise their home ownership ambitions while also protecting our precious green spaces from over development. It’s proper levelling up in action and I can’t wait to see the thriving communities it helps to create.”