Government housing bosses visit Walkden development
Senior figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) visited a Bloor Homes development in Walkden as part of a fact-finding mission on the housebuilding industry.
Deputy Director of Housing Hannah Meyers and Head of Regeneration Laura Hurley were given a tour of the Worsley Fold development by Bloor Homes’ Regional Managing Director Rhys Nicholson, who gave them an insight into the challenges facing developers as they attempt to address the country’s housing shortage.
The delegation, which also included representatives from Homes England, the British Property Federation, and Peel Land and Property Group, had a close look at the range of new homes being built at Worsley Fold, and also heard more about the wider community benefits being delivered as part of the development.
When completed, Worsley Fold will comprise 177 new homes with areas of green open space, new footpaths and cycleways linking the development to Walkden town centre and the railway station. In addition, the developer is contributing £125,000 towards the creation of a new 5.27-hectare nature park.
Bloor Homes is also providing funding of £300,000 for transport projects in the area, including around £250,000 for a subsidised bus service linking the development to Walkden centre, £12,500 for new bus stops, £15,000 for footway improvements around nearby schools, and £5,000 towards new cycle stands and lockers at Walkden railway station.
Rhys Nicholson, Regional Managing Director at Bloor Homes North West, said: “It was a privilege to welcome delegates from the MHCLG to our Worsley Fold development and to show them the high quality and much needed new homes we are providing across the region.
“The development has been sensitively designed to reflect the character of the local area and it was great to be able to showcase the new neighbourhood we have created at Worsley Fold and to highlight the benefits new build developments such as this deliver to local communities.
“The visit also gave us an opportunity to provide an insight into the process and timeframes involved in delivering a new homes development, from the planning stage to construction, and we hope that delegates found the visit helpful and informative.”