Buckshaw Village

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Map sources for Buckshaw Village at grid reference SD562210

Buckshaw Village is a new residential and industrial area between the towns of Chorley and Leyland in Lancashire, the original area of Buckshaw being part of Euxton. It is one of the largest urban development sites in the North West of England. It is the largest brownfield regeneration scheme in the whole of Europe.

The new development is taking place on the former site of the Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) Chorley, and covers several square kilometres. The area of land was known as Buckshaw, before it was requisitioned by the MOD in the 1930s. There are two listed buildings in this area that the ROF had a duty of care over, the smaller Old Worden Hall, which has recently been redeveloped by the Maysand Group^[1] this was the ancestral seat of a branch of the Farrington family, who later built and moved to Worden Hall in Worden_Park, Leyland as well as Buckshaw Hall which was built in the 1650s for the Robinson family^[2].

Two halves of the development are separated by a major new road called Central Way. To the west is industrial and commercial including the new Matrix Business Park. To the east of the road up to two thousand new housing units are in the process of being built by Redrow and Barratt Homes. Many of the new homes are specifically aimed at first-time buyers.

Plans were announced in February 2006 for a new industrial development called Revolution Park by property developers HelioSlough. The 30 hectare site will be situated at the southern end of the Buckshaw Village site. This is adjacent to the 2½ hectare plot occupied by Lex Auto Logistics' new distribution centre scheduled for completion in Autumn 2006

There is also an eco-friendly village built in conjunction with scientists from University of Manchester, who are testing various experimental and environmentally friendly principles. The homes will use a variety of energy sources, from geo-thermal and solar power to wind energy. The scheme will become a show village after it opens on 25 May 2006.

Road connections nearby include the motorways M6 and M61, as well as the A6 and A49 roads. A new railway station is also proposed on the Manchester to Preston railway in between Leyland and Chorley, ensuring that the area will be very popular to new residents and businesses.

The local area boundary between South Ribble and Chorley councils currently cuts Buckshaw in half, but it is understood Chorley borough will take all the village within its boundaries once the development is complete.