Building new homes and regenerating key local sites is central to housing group, Torus’, long term ambitions for St Helens and surrounding areas, and today the team celebrated the completion of two new build sites with Homes England, St Helens Borough Council and contractor, HMS.

The completion of Grange Park in Thatto Heath saw 30 homes built and £4.9 million invested in completely regenerating the site following the demolition of seven outdated and inefficient apartment blocks at Springfield Road.

Railway Court has seen Torus invest a further £1.7 million into completely redeveloping the former site of the Railway Inn – a well-known local landmark site – to create 15 new apartments at the heart of Earlestown.

Working with key partners in the Borough has been central to the success of both these schemes, seeing Homes England invest £1.6 million into the schemes and St Helens Borough Council share Torus’ vision for both Grange Park and Railway Court. This collaboration has already recorded many benefits for local people and communities, and these latest 45 affordable properties will provide great new, secure homes for many individuals and families.

Commenting on the latest completions, Torus Developments’ Managing Director, Chris Bowen, said:

“To see two sites complete and ready to welcome residents is a fantastic achievement and something I am proud to be a part of. Both schemes represent a commitment from Torus, Homes England and St Helens Borough Council in not only improving access to affordable new homes and bolstering the rental market, but in listening to local communities about the type of development needed.

“St Helens continues to be one of the primary areas we invest in, and Grange Park and Railway Court mark the beginning of a big year for Torus in the Borough following the acquisition of Pilkingtons Phase 1 at Cowley Hill, the starts on site at Lancots Lane and Corporation Street, and the first properties completing at Elephant Lane. We’ve also got the stunning refurbishment of the old Newton Hospital reaching completion. With 976 new homes committed or on site, and plans for major regeneration taking shape, St Helens is a key priority for Torus’ new build plans.”

Kate Collins, Senior Manager – Provider Manager, from Homes England, said:

“As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives and we are committed to supporting ambitious housebuilders of all sizes to build those homes and communities. As a Homes England Strategic Partner, Torus has committed to delivering new affordable homes via the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26. Investment at Grange Park and Railway Court has transformed both sites and provided much needed, good quality affordable new homes in St. Helens. At Homes England we are committed to supporting our partners to increase the supply of good quality affordable new homes that the people of St. Helens can be proud of.”

Councillor Richard McCauley, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Planning, added:

“Quality homes should be accessible to everyone regardless of their budget, so it's great to see these new schemes brought to completion as we continue to work in partnership with Torus to fight against the housing crisis by creating affordable homes for our residents."

Construction Director at HMS – the contractor responsible for delivering both Grange Park and Railway Court – John Barrow, continued:

“It’s been a busy couple of months for HMS, especially around the St Helens area, and these latest schemes take the number of homes we have handed over to Torus up to 250 – all since January! The team has worked incredibly hard on both Grange Park and Railway Court to create developments that both future residents and the wider community can be proud of so it’s brilliant to see both developments completed.”