Tweet

Watkin Jones, the UK’s leading developer and manager of residential for rent, has marked a key milestone in St Helens with a ‘golden brick’ ceremony.

The first bricks have been laid for a £63 million development by housing association Torus, which will deliver 295 affordable homes as part of the third phase of the wider Moss Nook regeneration, set to bring 900 new homes to the area, with work progressing at pace.

The site was unlocked by £1.95 million of Brownfield Land funding from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority to prepare the land for residential use to create a new neighbourhood between Sutton, Parr and Bold. The Combined Authority also provided £2.05m to support phase 1 of the Moss Nook development.

Torus bought the remediated site from Harworth Group in November 2024 and has received £19.4 million of grant funding from Homes England.

Torus appointed Watkin Jones as delivery partner and contractor to build the homes for social rent, affordable rent, rent to buy and shared ownership.

The scheme will provide two, three, and four-bedroom family homes, mews properties and apartments – all designed to meet the urgent need for high-quality, affordable housing in the area.

Each home will feature air source heating, reflecting Torus and Watkin Jones’ strong ESG commitments.

The scheme will also comprise landscaped areas and excellent connections to the town centre and railway station offering residents links to Liverpool and Manchester.

Dave Jones, Group Commercial Director – Construction at Watkin Jones, commented:

“This is an important step in transforming this site into a community which people can call home. Our focus is on creating well-designed, sustainable homes that meet local housing needs, while also supporting the longer-term regeneration of St Helens.

“From a construction perspective, this scheme highlights how effective partnerships and forward planning can deliver high-quality, energy-efficient homes at scale. Seeing this development take shape is incredibly exciting, and we look forward to welcoming residents to their new homes, creating long-term value for both residents and the wider St Helens community.”

Steve Coffey, Torus Group Chief Executive, said: “This is a key milestone in what is a really important scheme because the different housing types and tenures will give more people options while sustainable technologies have been included in a bid to cut carbon and fuel bills.

“It is fantastic to see work progressing at such speed and rejuvenating brownfield land that has sat derelict for decades.

“Moss Nook takes the total number of homes we have under construction in St Helens to over 1,000 and it is this scale of development that is needed to make a tangible impression on housing waiting lists in the town.”

Councillor Graham Morgan, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Housing and Regeneration, said: “This is a major step forward for this important development in St Helens, which will create nearly 300 new homes for local people on a former industrial site.

“Creating communities on forgotten, disused spaces is exactly what our £60m Brownfield Land Fund is designed to do. Through it we are helping to build more than 4,500 new homes all on brownfield sites like this.

“It’s a vital part of how we are working hard to tackle the housing shortage and ensure that people right across our area have a great choice of high-quality homes.”

Councillor Trisha Long, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Stronger Communities, said: “Moss Nook is a clear example of one of our core council priorities of creating safe and strong communities and neighbourhoods for all, so I’m delighted to see construction begin on the next phase.

“This £63m scheme will not only deliver hundreds of much-needed affordable homes but also transform a long-derelict brownfield site into a thriving, sustainable community.

“Projects like this show what can be achieved when partners work together to tackle the housing crisis, regenerate land, and create high-quality affordable homes.”

Harworth secured planning permission for Torus’ scheme from St Helens Council in summer 2024.