Homes at Lancashire mill site

December 13, 2021

New homes are set to transform a former mill in the Lancashire village of Hoddlesden – almost 20 years after its closure.

Land that was once home to the Vernon Carus Mill, a textile mill that made medical fabrics for bandages until 2003, has been acquired by Preston-based Kingswood Homes from vendor BXB.

The 7.2 acre site, on Johnson New Road, has an outline planning consent for 79 homes and Kingswood is drawing up a reserved matters application, which is due to be submitted in early 2022. Subject to planning, work could start later in 2022.

Paul Jones, managing director of Kingswood Homes, the company behind the award-winning Green Hills development in nearby Feniscowles, Blackburn, said: “The mill closed in 2003 and was left derelict after a fire in 2008, gradually becoming an eye sore. It had been identified as a potential site for housing but stalled for various reasons. We’ve worked closely with BXB to ensure the long-term future of this brownfield site so that it can be brought back into good use. We’re now looking forward to bringing our own plans forward and redeveloping the land to provide aspirational new homes, the first of which could be released for sale within 12 months.

“This is a strategic site for us, just five miles from our Green Hills development. The combination of the pretty village location, strong commuter links and our industry-leading Shape Your Home concept, which gives buyers the power to choose the internal layout that best works for them, means that it’s sure to be a popular choice with buyers.

“As a mill, the site was previously a major employer and during the construction works we will be providing dozens of jobs on site, plus supporting further employment in the supply chain.”

Since securing the site, BXB land Solutions has worked in partnership with the local planning authority to address the numerous development constraints that had hindered the site coming forward. These included re profiling the site, replacing and diverting the existing on-site culvert, creating suitable development platforms and creating suitable on-site habitat for wildlife.

Commenting on the transaction, Gary Goodman of BXB said: “We are pleased that our investment on a brownfield site which has blighted the village of Hoddlesden for a number of years has secured a house building partner that shares our appreciation for high quality place-making. Our ability to deliver consented brownfield land to the development sector and remove problematic sites to the benefit of the local community ensures that our investment kickstarts the development process. Our focus on such sites makes us market leaders in the brownfield regeneration process and enables institutional investment in areas which have suffered from its absence.”

Kingswood is aiming towards releasing the first homes at the site for sale in late 2022.

Situated off Johnson New Road, residents of the new homes will be able to walk into the centre of Hoddlesden village, while Darwen is just a few miles away as it the M65, offering easy access to Blackburn, Preston and Manchester.

The site is around five miles from Green Hills, where the show home recently scooped a five star award in the UK Property Awards and construction is being overseen by a multi-award winning site manager.

The next phase of Green Hills includes a three-bedroom property being gifted to Derian House Children’s Hospice by Kingswood Homes for the Great Big House Giveaway.