WINSFORD’S former Woodford Lodge High School will be used for the development of more than 300 houses under borough council plans.

Cheshire West and Chester chiefs are expected to give the green light to a scheme to redevelop the site to include 120 affordable and shared ownership properties.

Members of the executive will be asked to approve funding for a programme of housing development on the council-owned site at tomorrow evening’s meeting.

The proposed scheme includes a hundred homes for affordable rent - which will be added to the Council’s existing housing stock - and 20 shared ownership properties.

The completion of the affordable homes would trigger the development of a further phase of the site for open market sale, expected to create an overall development of approximately 300 homes.

Clr Lynda Jones said: “This ambitious scheme will make best use of council land and resources in order to provide much-needed homes for affordable rent and shared ownership.

“At the same time, it will promote and increase housing supply to promote economic growth in the borough.

“Importantly, this scheme will bring significant benefits for our residents, improving the choice of and access to new affordable and market sale homes.”

Local Councillor Tom Blackmore said: “I very much welcome the affordable housing proposed for the Woodford Lodge site.

“It will mean more growth for Winsford while helping to meet the need for housing locally.”

A number of other Council-owned sites in Ellesmere Port, Neston and Tarporley are included in the programme, which is designed to meet local housing needs.

Overall, the programme would deliver 230 affordable and 20 shared ownership scheme homes and facilitate the release of a minimum of 370 market sale units – resulting in 600 new homes.

The £21.2m programme is expected to be funded by a mix of capital receipts and increased borrowing through the Council’s Housing Revenue Account.