New 350-home plan revealed for former Camelot theme park in Chorley - here's what Story Homes want to do
Fresh plans to build 350 homes on the former Camelot Theme Park site in Chorley have been revealed.
Story Homes has asked Chorley Borough Council for a Screening Opinion ahead of making a full planning application for the site.
A statement submitted to the council’s planning portal this week says: “It is the intention that an application will be submitted for the following: “Outline planning application (with all matters reserved save for the principal means of access) for a residential development of up to 350 homes (Use Class C3) and community hub, with associated habitat creation, landscaping, open space, parking, footpaths/cycleways, drainage and other infrastructure.””
A Screening Opinion is a formal way for a developer to ask a planning authority if a proposed development is likely to require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - which in itself ensures that potential environmental impacts are identified and addressed early in the planning process, potentially leading to more sustainable development practices.
It is the latest in a series of plans announced by the developer for the site, dating back to 2014. Previous applications have been knocked back because of lack of infrastructure and the effect on Green Belt land.
The laetst request document states that the primary means of access to the development would be via Park Hall Road. It adds: “The proposed development includes a residential led scheme for up to 350 homes, to deliver a mix of much needed family homes and a community hub that can offer an accessible local facility for the community.”
Habitats and sustainability
It states that “a series of sustainable transport measures will be proposed, such as off-site pedestrian and cycle link improvements and bus service improvements” and that “suitable standoff distances will be embedded” into the masterplan to protect existing sensitive habitats. A section of Syd Brook is also proposed to be de-culverted with the aim of improving the ecological status of the watercourse.
The area
Story Homes’ agent says that although the proposal involves a change of use, residential dwellings are inkeeping with the surrounding environment. They add: “The area is characterised by development including residential dwellings to the west, and M6 to the east which is already an urbanised area and would therefore not distinctly change the character of the area.”
What’s the background here?
The once-thriving theme park, based on the story of Camelot, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, closed in November 2012 after opening to much fan-fare in 1983. The site stood abandoned and had attracted 'urban explorers' for years, before remaining structures were demolished in December 2020.
Story Homes’ original planning application for 420 houses was rejected by Chorley Council in 2014. A public consultation for up to 275 homes was then launched in 2016, but scaled this back to 200 after more than 100 people gave feedback - many saying the numbers were too high.
In 2018, Story Homes saw plans for 195 homes on the site rejected by Chorley Council's planning committee. Letters of objection were sent by 113 households in nearby Charnock Richard with concerns over the use of green belt land and a lack of infrastructure.
Research published in 2019 suggested that the site was able to fit 6,294 new homes across its 140-acre site. It was reported to have a potential value, in terms of development, of around £790 million at that time.