WORK has started on the construction of more than 100 new homes across two brownfield sites in Ellesmere Port.

A total of 55 properties will be built on the former site of The Acorns Primary School in Regent Street, while a further 52 homes are to go up on land which used to house the Rivacre Business Centre on Mill Lane.

Developers Vistry Partnerships and Cheshire West and Chester Council are working together to build "high-quality, affordable homes" as part of a joint effort to "boost and rebalance" the area's housing supply.

The latest partnership, which will also see 82 new homes built at a site in Winsford, comes after the developer worked with the authority on the Chase Park development in Ellesmere Port to deliver the borough’s first council houses in 40 years.

The Regent Street development will be called 'Acorns Green' while the Mill Lane site will be simply named 'Rivacre'.

Both will feature a mix of property types – ranging from two, three and four bedroom homes – and will be competitively priced to ensure that they are affordable to a broad cross-section of local residents.

Ian Hilliker, Vistry Partnership’s managing director for the North West, said: "We are delighted to have started working on these three key residential developments.

"Once complete, there will be a broad range of housing options to meet the diverse needs of the borough, and we are thrilled our partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council allows us to bring much-needed housing to the region."

Councillor Karen Shore, deputy leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council, added: "The council has been working with developers for a number of years to make sure we build the homes our borough needs.

"The start of work on these sites represents another significant step towards this goal, and we strongly believe that through private-sector partnerships we will effectively rebalance the region’s housing supply while delivering a range of houses which allows the area to thrive."

With planning permission granted earlier in the year, construction has begun on site with the first properties available for purchase in 2021.

The homes at Rivacre are due to be sold to a local housing association, while those earmarked for open market sale will be available to buy through Vistry Partnership’s housebuilding arm, Linden Homes.

Up to 57 of the properties across the three sites will be delivered on behalf of the council and are available to rent at an affordable price.