A housing development in Congleton has passed the halfway mark, with Homes England visiting the site to see the progress being made.
Representatives from Homes England, the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, were invited to The Oaks at Woodland Manor to see first-hand how the development demonstrates the positive impact collaboration can have in bringing forward high-quality, energy efficient, new properties, while providing jobs and investment in communities.
Castle Green Partnerships, part of Castle Green Homes, is building the homes in Congleton on behalf of Torus, one of the North West’s largest social, not-for-profit landlords.
The Oaks forms part of the wider 57-acre development, which will see 396 homes constructed, half of which have already been built.
Once complete, the mixed tenure scheme will include 132 shared ownership, 83 rent to buy, 21 affordable rent and 160 private sale homes.
During the visit, Shahi Islam, director of affordable housing at Homes England, and Melissa Crellin, head of policy, partnerships and public affairs at Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority, toured the site and learned more about how Torus will offer high-quality, energy efficient homes for local people.
Castle Green Homes chief executive Gwyn Jones said: “We’re immensely proud to be a hybrid developer and this site is a prime example of how land and build package deals can make a real difference in helping to tackle the housing shortage.
“Congleton is one of four sites we’re working on for Torus to deliver around 750 homes by 2030. Around 60% of the homes we’re building in Congleton will be available through shared ownership, rent to buy or affordable rent via Torus.
“We typically have between 100 and 200 people working on site across two phases to ensure we can deliver high-quality, energy-efficient housing at pace. Dozens of homes are already occupied and we’re on target to complete the scheme by spring 2027.”
Torus is investing £59 million in the Congleton development, supported by Homes England funding.
Managing Director of Torus Developments, Chris Bowen, said: “The Oaks highlights the pace that homes can be delivered on a mixed tenure scheme.
“The variety provides customers with a wide choice of options, including Affordable Rent which gives people a 20% discount on private market rates in the area, while Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy properties will help others take their first step towards outright ownership in the future.”
Shahi Islam, Director of Affordable Housing Grants for Homes England, added: “As the Government’s housing and regeneration agency, we are delighted to see the continued progress happening at The Oaks in Woodland Manor, Congleton. Increasing the supply of quality affordable homes remains one of our key objectives, and we are committed to supporting stakeholders of all sizes to achieve their ambitions.”
Planning approval for the development was secured in April 2024 with work beginning shortly afterwards. The first residents moved into their new homes in spring 2025 and the community continues to grow as construction progresses.
Torus is a Strategic Partner of Homes England, having recently received £350 million in grant in the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme to build over 2,800 homes across Merseyside and Cheshire.
Earlier this year Castle Green was named as a member of Homes England’s Dynamic Purchasing System, unlocking potential to access public sector land.
