Widnes Boardwalk development gets the greenlight

Construction firm EBL Group has received the greenlight for its plan to deliver a waterfront development in Widnes.

Work on The Boardwalk, which includes two six-storey apartment buildings overlooking the River Mersey, will begin in early 2016.

Once complete, the site will offer 92 one- and two-bedroom apartments for over 55s.

Eddie Basnett, managing director of Halton-based EBL Group, said: “We’re thrilled that The Boardwalk development is finally going ahead. It will provide much needed retirement living for older people in the local area.

“There is a real demand for housing like this because we have an ageing population yet the UK is not building enough of these kind of homes.”

He added: “When The Boardwalk opens we expect these apartments to get snapped up by active older people who want to downsize, have neighbours in the same age group as them and live somewhere that is future proof as they get older.”

The development will be delivered on Terrace Road in the West Bank conservation area, on the derelict site that once served as a Cemex factory.

Eddie continued: “The Boardwalk has overcome a significant number of hurdles to come to fruition including the recession, failed partnerships with local housing associations and lack of funding from the Homes and Communities Agency.

“But EBL Group’s persistence has paid off and we’re delivering The Boardwalk under our banner as a private development without any other partners or government grants or incentives because we’ve always believed in this project.”

The Boardwalk will take 18 months to build and will create “a significant number” of jobs, according to EBL Group.

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