A major new £18m freehold housing development is to provide more than 170 new homes in Ellesmere Port.

It will also help create almost 300 jobs including 100 construction roles according to developers.

North Wales-based Macbryde Homes had detailed planning permission last year for 171 starter and family properties on a 12-acre brownfield site off Cromwell Road.

The company has now revealed sales have officially launched at the site, named Oakley Park, and initial interest has been strong with a number of units being reserved even before the show homes are on offer for viewing.

Commenting on the prospect of the new two, three and four-bedroom homes for the town, Caryl Russell, sales manager at Macbryde Homes, said: “The homes we’re developing at Oakley Park are the first to be made available for open market sale in Ellesmere Port for almost five years so we anticipated that interest would be strong.

“We welcomed over 50 interested viewers on our launch weekend and have secured five reservations already.

“This level of interest before the show home launches serves to demonstrate just how needed new starter and family homes are in the area.

“We were firm in our belief from the outset that Ellesmere Port was well overdue a significant development of this kind and believe it will serve as a significant boost to the local economy.”

Caryl concluded: “We were delighted to support our early visitors to the site in selecting their new homes and look forward to welcoming them to Oakley Park.

“Our three show homes will launch in July this year but we’re welcoming prospective purchasers to our on-site sales office from now onwards and anticipate the appeal of Oakley Park to remain strong.”

A spokesperson for the company confirmed the homes will be freehold.

Ellesmere Port and Neston MP Justin Madders (Lab), who is campaigning against leasehold houses being built in the town, commented: “The vacant land on Cromwell Road has been an eyesore for many years so I warmly welcome this new development which will transform and regenerate the area.

“I am also extremely pleased to see that the houses are being sold on a freehold basis which I firmly believe should be the case with all houses.

“If Macbryde Homes are able to offer these new build homes as freehold Redrow and other developers have absolutely no excuse for not doing the same.

“I continue to look forward to confirmation that they will end this unacceptable policy.”

Oakley Park is described as being just minutes away from the UK’s largest designer outlet village at Cheshire Oaks and within walking distance of Ellesmere Port train station with ‘enviable’ rail and road links, including the nearby M53, to the rest of the north west.

The range will run from two-bedroom terrace starter homes through to four-bedroom detached family properties with prices starting from £123,995. Help to Buy is also available.

Macbryde say the development will be constructed in three phases over four years. Of the 390 people expected to live there when the new build is complete, the developers believe that 190 will be employed and the new households will contribute approaching £2m to the local economy each year.