Hyndburn Borough Council accepts £30 Million Funding Boost to Realise Vision for Huncoat Garden Village
Hyndburn Council has secured a significant £30million funding award from Homes England for the Huncoat Garden Village project. The project forms part of the Council’s growth plans and will enable over 1,800 new homes to be built.
Homes England will provide a £30million grant from its Brownfield Infrastructure Land Fund to pave the way for a residential led brownfield project with the potential to transform Hyndburn’s housing market. The money will pay for the infrastructure works needed to get the area ready for residential development and will unlock £430million of private investments in the area.
The project will bring back into use the site of the former Huncoat Power Station and the former colliery site. It will deliver 1,816 new homes of mixed tenure including new affordable and social housing over a 15-year period.
As well as new housing, the Garden Village includes plans for a new small village centre, meeting community needs, an extension to the local primary school, new residential relief road, increased car parking provision at Huncoat Train Station and 24 hectares of strategic and functional open space including new sports and play facilities.
The Council’s Cabinet approved the steps to accept the award and sign the funding agreement at the Cabinet meeting on 30th October 2024.
The £30 million offer was made by Homes England at the end of August, at which point a Cabinet Working Group was established to consider the funding and project in detail. The Cabinet Working Group has now completed its deliberations, and after meeting with many stakeholders recommended that Cabinet accepts the offer.
Councillor Munsif Dad, Leader of the Council said:
“After careful consideration of information, listening to the many opinions about the project and receiving professional advice, the Council is now able to move forward with this project. Since we took control of the Council in May this year, Huncoat Garden Village has been at the very top of our agenda and we have had many meetings on the matter with local and national politicians, Council Officers, planners, representatives from Homes England and residents. We established a Cabinet Working Group in order to fully scrutinise the project, and they have concluded that the offer of funding should be accepted.
The new Government have set ambitious house building targets for Hyndburn and large-scale projects such as this will help the Council achieve these. £30million of investment in infrastructure for Hyndburn is good news. We are happy to accept this award from Homes England, who we have invited to meet with us in Hyndburn next month, and look forward to delivering the groundwork to provide many news homes.”
Councillor Melissa Fisher, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities added:
“Improving housing standards and access to affordable housing in Hyndburn is one of my top priorities. Huncoat Garden Village will deliver over 1,800 new homes, including affordable homes and social housing, over the coming years. This £30 million grant will significantly improve the infrastructure of the former power station and colliery site including road access, unlocking over £430 million in private investment to build homes. I’m happy that the project includes a village centre, extension to the local school and over 24 hectares of open space.
As promised, the Council’s Cabinet have thoroughly reviewed the project via our working group and we are now pleased to be able to accept this award.”