Harworth Group plc, a leading regenerator of land and property for sustainable development and investment, has sold a 16.2-acre land parcel at its Moss Nook residential development site in St Helens, Merseyside, to Taylor Wimpey. The sale represents the first phase of the development and will deliver 258 new homes.
Moss Nook is a 95-acre brownfield site located just over a mile from St Helens town centre, with an outline planning consent for the development of up to 900 homes. Harworth acquired the site in 2018, after previous development plans had stalled. It has since undertaken complex remediation works, including the capping of seven former mine shafts, which have been incorporated into the scheme design.
Alongside new homes, the masterplan for Moss Nook includes a new spine road with segregated pedestrian and cycle routes, providing a more direct connection to the town centre, alongside new landscaping, public open spaces and sports facilities. In addition, all new homes on this site will be fitted with EV charging points and delivered in line with a Design Code, to ensure high quality development and cohesiveness across phases.
In December 2020, Harworth received a grant award from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Brownfield Land Fund to construct the new spine road and unlock the first phase of residential development at the site.
Harworth intends to deliver Moss Nook in phases over the next eight to ten years.
“Moss Nook demonstrates Harworth’s unique capabilities in remediating complex brownfield sites and transforming them into places where people want to live and work. Development at Moss Nook and Harworth’s other sites in the North West will contribute to our aim of accelerating sales and broadening the range of our residential products, a key component of our recently-announced strategy to double the size of our business over the next five to seven years.”
Andrew Blackshaw, Chief Operating Officer, Harworth Group plc
“This residential land sale is the first for Harworth in the North West, and firmly establishes our reputation as a master developer in the region. Taylor Wimpey is a long-standing and valued partner of Harworth’s, and the delivery of a high-quality product at Moss Nook will set the tone for the remainder of the development. I would like to thank St Helens Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for their continued support in helping us to create a sustainable new community for St Helens.”
Steven Knowles, Regional Director for the North West, Harworth Group plc
“We are delighted to have acquired the land from Harworth Group for our Anderton Green development on land off Sutton Road, St Helens. Taylor Wimpey will bring forward a high-quality design-led scheme that will help to deliver new homes in St Helens. The site builds on other recent land acquisitions and will further strengthen our business going forward.”
Ian Harrison, Land & Planning Director at Taylor Wimpey North West