The £47 million redevelopment plan at a former high school in Cheshire has been approved.

The plan will see a housing development made up of a mix of 401 private and council homes built by developer Keepmoat at the old Woodford Lodge High School site in Winsford.

The new housing scheme is called Woodford Grange and spans 30 acres of brown field, providing first time buyers and home hunters with access to a collection of two, three and four bedroom properties under the Help to Buy scheme backed by the government.

Within the development, there will be 130 affordable properties built on behalf of Chester Council and Cheshire West, which will be the first local authority houses built in the Borough for almost 40 years.

Keepmoat’s North West Regional Managing Director, Gareth Roberts, commented: “Working in partnership with the Council, we have identified key ways to regenerate a surplus piece of land and really invest in Winsford while creating housing solutions – particularly for first time buyers.”

Work on the development is set to begin later in the summer.

The firm is also set to transform the old Barr’s soft drink factory site in Wigan into a £35.5 million new housing development.

Work on this project is set to commence later in the month to deliver 194 two, three and four bedroom properties for sale.

The new scheme will also deliver two children’s play areas and brand new public open space.

The development will be Keepmoat’s first new housing scheme in Wigan and has confirmed that they plan to continue their plans to work closely with Wigan Council to explore the best ways of regenerating more areas in the region.

Roberts said: “We very much specialise in providing homes for the first time buyer market and so we’re excited to be bringing our offer to Wigan.”