New plans unveiled for 135 council homes at former Lancaster high school site

An artist impression of planned new council homes on the former Skerton High site in Lancaster.

New plans for council housing on a former high school site have been described as a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to transform the lives of people in the Skerton area of Lancaster.

A planning application to build new council homes on the site of the former Skerton High School, which has been demolished recently, has just been submitted.

Lancaster City Council’s scheme for 135 new homes is part of its long-term ambition to provide more affordable housing for local people.

The plans include two six-storey blocks of new apartments and three terraces of two, three and four bedroom houses.

All of the buildings have been designed to create highly insulated homes to keep the amount of energy required to heat them to a minimum. Solar panels on all of the flat and south facing roofs will allow renewable energy to be generated on site.

Coun Caroline Jackson, cabinet member with responsibility for housing, said: “These ambitious plans represent a once in a generation opportunity to transform the lives of people in this area of Lancaster with new, modern homes that benefit from the latest energy efficiency measures.

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“We’ve placed the community at the heart of the proposals and we’re grateful to all those who helped us shape the plans through the many engagement events we held.”

Central to the new apartments will be a large square providing shared amenity space to encourage a sense of community and to provide a space where residents can meet and socialise.

The square will include a lawn with café-style seating around the edge, with an additional community area on the ground floor of one of the apartment buildings providing an indoor space.

A suggested space where residents could grow their own food has also been incorporated into the final design as have children’s play facilities and two new football pitches with changing facilities.

The two rows of cherry trees that line the entrance way and frame the playing fields at the front of the site will be retained as part of the proposals.

“If approved, these plans will breathe new life into this area of Lancaster with a development that’s fit for the future,” said Coun Jackson.

The planning application 24/00509/FUL can be viewed online at Lancaster.gov.uk/planning-portal Public consultation ends on June 14.