South Ribble homes to be built on former factory site
A major housing development first mooted more than 15 years ago is finally set to get off the drawing board.More than 270 homes will be built across the Penwortham Mills site near Preston, which was previously occupied by a factory belonging to the surgical lint manufacturer Vernon Carus.The plot – part of which became home to a new Lidl store in February – has been eyed for a residential estate since the late 2000s, shortly after the firm relocated.Several proposals have been approved since then, but none has ever come to fruition, with the land having also changed hands on numerous occasions.
In April, the site was acquired by the construction firm Persimmon Homes, which told a meeting of South Ribble Borough Council's planning committee it was eager to bring the blueprint to life.It needed approval to tweak the design of the properties being built, to replace those approved under the most recent permission granted in 2022 to what was then the Trafford Housing Trust, later to become part of the L&Q Group.Rachel Graham, senior land and planning manager for Persimmon in Lancashire, said the revised range for the first phase of the "stalled" estate reflected "the already approved arrangement as closely as possible".The council's planning manager, Catherine Thomas, told members there was "hardly any difference at all" in the overall shape of the initial phase.
'Affordable homes'
The changes – which were approved without debate – relate to 49 of the homes within the first tranche of the development, for which full planning permission has already been granted.They will be made up of detached, semi-detached and terrace styles – and work on them is now expected to begin in the coming months.A similar revision will later be submitted for the remaining 68 properties within that phase.The second and third phases only have outline permission currently granted for them. This means applications for the details of house designs would have been required in future regardless of the change of ownership of the site – and Persimmon says they will come forward in due course.However, the firm is planning to build only 274 dwellings in all on Penwortham Mills – fewer than the up to 301 proposed in the application by Trafford Housing Group.Twenty-five homes are already approved for a neighbouring site where the Sumpter Horse pub stood until its demolition in January.Within the Penwortham Mills plot, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands 83 of the properties will be discounted "affordable homes".
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
39 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Chancellor Rachel Reeves told to abandon 'austerity' welfare cuts in spending review by the SNP
The SNP says Labour must 'abandon plans to impose more austerity cuts' Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The chancellor is being told to 'scrap the Labour Party's devastating cuts to disabled people' in her spending review later this week. The SNP has written to Rachel Reeves ahead of her statement on Wednesday, urging her to 'abandon plans to impose more austerity cuts' and ensure there are no cuts to affordable housing, policing or the Scottish Government's budget. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chancellor Rachel Reeves |Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison also told the chancellor to 'change course' and abandon her self-imposed fiscal rules. Yesterday, UK Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Peter Kyle was asked if he could guarantee there would be no cuts to affordable housing and police officer numbers. In response, Mr Kyle said: 'The whole details of the spending review will come out on Wednesday.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dave Doogan MP, the SNP's economy spokesman, has now written to the chancellor calling on her to 'immediately and fully reverse Labour's austerity cuts to disabled people, pensioners and families, and deliver the investment needed to end child poverty, boost public services and grow the economy - instead of swinging the Westminster austerity axe again'. In his letter he also said the chancellor must 'deliver long-overdue funding for Scottish energy projects - including fully and immediately funding the Acorn Scottish carbon capture project, which has faced years of Westminster delays'. Mr Doogan also said Ms Reeves should match the Scottish Government's plan to scrap the two-child benefit cap and the bedroom tax, and introduce a UK-wide version of the Scottish child payment. 'It's safe to say 2025 has got off to a frantic and varied start. "It is a welcome antidote to get back to the constituency to meet businesses and organisations achieving so much for local people and local economies, in stark contrast to the chaos at Westminster.' He added: 'Instead of choosing more austerity cuts, the Labour government should be choosing to boost economic growth and make fairer choices to help families and properly fund public services. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'At the UK spending review on Wednesday, I urge you to scrap the Labour Party's devastating cuts to disabled people and abandon plans to impose more austerity cuts to public services, including affordable housing and policing, which would hit the most vulnerable and squeeze Scotland's budget.' Over the weekend Mr Kyle said police must 'do their bit' to 'embrace change' as the Home Office and Treasury continue negotiations ahead of the spending review. It is understood Home Office ministers do not believe there is enough cash to recruit the additional police officers Labour promised in its manifesto. He said 'every part of society was struggling' and the chancellor is facing pressure from all sectors - last week Ms Reeves also warned that not every government department will 'get everything they want' and said there were 'good things I've had to say no to'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Peter Kyle | Jonathan Brady/Press Association However Mr Kyle did confirm there would be a boost to spending on schools and scientific research. Over the weekend Ms Robison said the UK and Scottish governments must work together to support shared economic growth and end spending that bypasses devolution. She has called on the chancellor to relax her fiscal rules to enable investment in public services, to fully fund employer National Insurance contribution increases in the Scottish public sector, abandon welfare cuts, and fund the Acorn carbon capture project. Ms Robison said: 'The UK spending review is an opportunity for the UK Government to abandon some of its damaging policies such as cuts to welfare support for disabled people, to scrap the two-child benefit cap and to reinstate a universal winter fuel payment.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She also said she hopes the chancellor will use the spending review to fully fund the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions in the Scottish public sector. Ms Robison added: 'The UK Government should also use the spending review to empower the devolved administrations with more flexible fiscal rules that can enable investment in public services and we need an end to spending that bypasses devolution so we can direct funds to best meet local needs. Finance Secretary Shona Robison | Getty Images 'We called on UK ministers to involve us at an early stage of this process, but since they've refused to provide us with any clarity on their spending priorities it's clear that it's business as usual for Westminster. 'We continue to call on the Treasury to use the spending review to change course, providing the funding we need to deliver for the people of Scotland.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Reeves's spending review on Wednesday will confirm how much taxpayers' money will be spent on public services such as the NHS, and how much money the UK Government will be investing in new projects. The chancellor set out department budgets for 2025/26 back in her autumn statement - this week's spending review will see her confirm the departmental spending allocations for the next three to four years. Government borrowing grew to £20.2 billion in April, which is £1bn higher than the same month in 2024 and more than economists had been expecting. Tax revenues also increased due to increases to employer National Insurance contributions - spending also increased due to increases to pensions and other benefits. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The UK Government has already previewed some of its spending decisions, such as raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 and cutting the overseas aid budget. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also vowed to reverse the Labour Party's cuts to universal winter fuel payments, but has yet to set out the details on what this will look like.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Labour in chaos as Keir Starmer's allies slam rebel MPs after benefits U-turn - while Wes Streeting insists he DOESN'T want to replace PM amid claims he'll leave No10 'within a year'
Labour is engaged in a fresh bout of infighting as the fallout from Sir Keir Starmer 's benefits U-turn sparked new claims about the Prime Minister's future. In his third major policy reversal in recent weeks, Sir Keir has caved in the face of a backbench rebellion to water down plans to cut £5billion from Britain's welfare bill. It followed his previous U-turns on axing winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners, and on holding a national inquiry into grooming gangs. The chaotic climbdowns have come as Sir Keir approaches his first anniversary as PM, following Labour's general election landslide in July last year. Leading historian Sir Anthony Seldon this morning claimed Sir Keir had made the most 'inept' start for any premier in the last 100 years. And polling guru Sir John Curtice said it was 'the worst start for any newly-elected prime minister, Labour or Conservative'. Meanwhile, Sir Keir was issued with a warning that he might not celebrate a second anniversary in Downing Street. An ally of Deputy PM Angela Rayner told the Mail on Sunday that they expected Sir Keir to be ousted within 12 months. 'After next year's Welsh and local elections, if Starmer does not stand down, he will face a challenge,' they said. 'People have just had enough and Keir is gravely wounded.' But senior Cabinet minister Wes Streeting attempted to rally round Sir Keir as he dismissed speculation about his own leadership ambitions. 'There is no other job I would rather be doing,' the Health Secretary told Sky News, as he hit out at 'mischief-making'. Mr Streeting branded questions about the PM's position as 'a load of rubbish', adding: 'I'm not entertaining it.' Other allies of the PM lashed out at those rebel MPs that had forced the PM's U-turn on benefits cuts. One MP told the Sunday Times that many of those elected to Parliament for the first time last July were suffering from 'main character syndrome'. 'These complaints about the PM not talking to new MPs - well he's a bit f***ing busy talking to President Trump,' they added. Another ally of Sir Keir said: 'I think there are a lot of [new MPs] who worked in the charity sector who think they are really important. 'There's no respect for a leader who has worked incredibly hard to fix the party and who got them elected just 12 months ago.' But the rebel MPs were also said to have felt 'emboldened' by the welfare U-turn, following claims of a need for 'regime change' in No10. The welfare U-turn has seen fresh scrutiny of Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, with the powerful aide coming under attack over his handling of the row. But, in a newspaper interview, Sir Keir insisted it was himself who should 'carry the can' for the humiliating climbdown. 'All these decisions are my decisions and I take ownership of them,' he said. The Government's original welfare package had restricted eligibility for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), which is the main disability payment in England. It also cut the health-related element of Universal Credit. Existing recipients were to be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support in an earlier bid by ministers to head off backbench opposition. But, following the Government's latest offer of concessions to rebel MPs, the changes to PIP will now only be implemented in November 2026 and apply to new claimants only. All existing recipients of the health element of Universal Credit will also have their incomes protected in real terms. Mr Streeting said he is confident the Government will now win a crunch House of Commons vote on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on Tuesday. He told Sky News the changes 'have put us in a much better position', adding: 'As a result of the changes, it means anyone watching this morning who's in receipt of PIP now has the peace of mind of knowing that their situation is protected.' Mr Streeting refused to be drawn when asked if Labour backbenchers who vote against the Bill will lose the whip. 'That's not my decision,' he said. The concessions on PIP alone protect some 370,000 people currently receiving the allowance who were set to lose out following reassessment. Ministers had hoped the reforms would get more people back into work and save up to £5 billion a year. But the concessions have left Chancellor Rachel Reeves needing to find money elsewhere and point to possible fresh tax rises in the autumn. Ex-Cabinet minister Louise Haigh, who was a leading rebel over the Government's now partially-reversed welfare cuts, called for Sir Keir to 'reset' his relationship with the British public. 'I think this is a moment and an opportunity to reset the Government's relationship with the British public and to move forward, to adopt a different approach to our economic policy and our political strategy,' she told the BBC. 'And I think that has been accepted from within government and a lot of people, both in the parliamentary Labour Party, but crucially, the country will really welcome that.' Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will hit out at Sir Keir as 'incapable of sticking to a decision' after he backed down on his plans. The reforms would only have made 'modest reductions to the ballooning welfare bill', but the PM was 'too weak to hold the line', she is expected to say in an upcoming speech. Helen Whately, the Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary, claimed there were still 'a lot of Labour MPs who are very unhappy' over the Government's benefits reforms, despite them being watered down. Asked if the Tories would vote for the Government's Bill on Tuesday, she told Sky News: 'We're expecting to see a statement from the Secretary of State (Liz Kendall) tomorrow. We'll see actually, what she sets out in it. 'We have said that if there are more savings that actually bring the welfare bill down, if they'll get more people into work, and if they commit to using the savings to avoid tax cuts in the autumn, which looks highly unlikely at the moment, then they have our support.' Sir Anthony, the historian who is considered to be Britain's leading political biographer, said of Sir Keir: 'I think it is absolutely right that not in 100 years has anyone made such an inept start coming into the office of prime minister. He added that Sir Keir had shown 'little idea about what he's doing, why he's doing it, what story he's telling, what he's communicating'. Sir John, a leading polling expert, told Times Radio that Labour had seen the 'biggest fall in public support for any newly elected British government'. 'Labour only won 35 per cent of the vote - the lowest share ever for a majority government,' he said. 'Keir Starmer was never especially popular, and the public still don't know what he stands for.' 'The only vision he's really presented is: 'We'll fix the problems the Conservatives left us.' But it's not clear how he wants to change the country.' He added: 'Apologies rarely help. U-turns can suggest a lack of direction - which is already one of this Government's biggest problems.' The MP ally of Ms Rayner added that while the Labour Left would prefer Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to succeed Sir Keir, he is not currently an MP, making Ms Rayner 'the most acceptable and most viable option'. They rejected Ms Rayner's insistence that she had 'no desire' to be PM, saying: 'That's what she would say' – adding that of all the potential Labour leaders, she could challenge Nigel Farage as 'a genuine working-class woman against a man who just wants working-class votes'. But one MP close to Ms Rayner insisted last night that she was focusing on her Government job, and dismissed talk of leadership manoeuvreings as nonsense. A poll for the Mail on Sunday found that 61 per cent of voters think Sir Keir should quit as PM. According to the survey by Find Out Now, only 25 per cent think Sir Keir will still be in Downing Street by the next election, with even Labour supporters split 50/50 on the question. Futhermore, a total of 64 per cent think that Ms Reeves should be fired by Sir Keir.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
PM and ministers now admit welfare reforms went too far
It was only 10 days ago that embattled Welfare Secretary Liz Kendall, trying to convince MPs to back her reforms, said ministers were "firm in our convictions". People on Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and universal credit were too often being "written off", while the welfare bill was becoming unsustainable. After an unprecedented rebellion by Labour MPs forced the prime minister into a significant retreat, today sees an interesting shift in those convictions. Her colleague Wes Streeting, who was drafted onto calls with angry backbenchers, tells Sky News he didn't want disabled people in his constituency surgeries on a Friday, telling him they were worse off when that was not the intention. This is exactly what many Labour MPs and disability groups were arguing was inevitable if current claimants were stripped of their benefits. Sir Keir Starmer, in a series of Sunday newspaper interviews in which he reflects on mistakes, says he now believes there was no point ploughing ahead with something which "doesn't necessarily achieve the desired outcome". Having rushed forward these reforms to save £5bn in the spending review, it now seems ministers are admitting the package needed more thought. The welfare bill is rising sharply, and many voters broadly support the idea of tackling it. But even if the draft legislation, which will affect new benefit claimants only, is voted through (and that's still an "if'", with dozens of Labour MPs still weighing it up), this debacle - for many MPs at least - goes to the heart of whose side the government is on.
