SOCIAL housing provider Torus has completed its largest development in Warrington to date at its town centre Academy Way site.
The £16.3 million Roebuck Plaza scheme will provide 144 affordable homes to local people, in a highly sought after, central location.
With all homes available via rent to buy, Roebuck Plaza will offer local people a stable, sustainable platform to get on the property ladder and own their own home, which is central to Torus’ operating model – creating great homes which allow people to thrive.
Completely transforming the disused brownfield site and a central development in supporting the Warrington Town Centre Masterplan, Roebuck Plaza is helping the borough council reach its aspirations of building more than 8,000 new homes in the town centre over the next 20 years.
Joining representatives from Torus and contractor, Lane End, council chief executive Professor Steven Broomhead and Councillor Steve Wright, welcomed the opening of Roebuck Plaza and helped the group mark a new chapter for Warrington town centre.
Torus chief executive and chairman of Warrington Town Deal Board, Steve Coffey, said: “Warrington has been home to Torus for many years now and to see our largest-scale investment in a new development complete is fantastic. It is a major statement in helping to deliver the Warrington Town Centre Masterplan alongside other impressive developments such as Time Square.”
Warrington Borough Council cabinet member for housing, Cllr Hitesh Patel, said: “The opening of the Academy Way development is fantastic news for Warrington, bringing high quality, affordable homes to our town centre. It’s part of our commitment to support Warrington’s ongoing growth by delivering the right types of homes, in the right places, which meet local demand.
“We know how crucial it is that we are able to create affordable housing that is sustainable and fit for the future. Academy Way is a fantastic example of this, and testament to how we can work with partners to deliver some really fantastic schemes, on brownfield sites. I’m looking forward to the scheme giving many more people the opportunity to own their own home, within a growing, thriving community, in the heart of our town.”
Richard Harrison, managing director at Lane End Group, said: “We have sailed against some challenging economic headwinds throughout this build, whilst tackling the uncertainty that the Covid-19 pandemic produced, so to achieve our objectives as we have has been a tremendous accomplishment.
“I believe that Roebuck Plaza is one of the most impressive completed buildings that Warrington has seen in recent times. “
