Proposals have been submitted to convert a pioneering electric motocross facility in Preston Brook into a residential estate, following repeated thefts that made it impossible to insure. An outline application for the construction of up to 94 new homes at Hill Top Farm on Windmill Lane has been lodged with Halton Borough Council.
The site currently houses E-Scape, which opened in 2014 as the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's first all-electric bike off-road riding centre. However, planning documents reveal that the business was severely impacted by Covid lockdowns and suffered break-ins resulting in the loss of over £130,000 worth of electric motorcycles, meaning it could no longer get the insurance it needed.
The business has ceased operations and the applicant is now seeking an alternative use for the previously developed site. The eight-acre site is already earmarked for residential development in Halton Council's strategic planning documents.
A design and access statement submitted on behalf of applicant M&S Rutter suggests that the proposed development would bring several economic benefits, including construction-related jobs. It further stated: "The proposed development would also secure the redevelopment of brownfield land in a sustainable location."
The statement added: "The E-Scape operation is no longer viable, and the track and the buildings currently lie vacant. Despite the applicant taking all reasonable steps to secure the site, it has inevitably become a target for vandals and anti-social behaviour, and there have been a number of break-ins at the buildings."
This is an outline application, with many details not yet available. No decision date has been set.
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