St Helens is on the cusp of its most significant housing transformation in a generation. The Bold Forest Garden Village—a 128-hectare masterplan stretching across the southern edge of the borough—is set to deliver approximately 3,000 new homes, along with schools, healthcare facilities, and green infrastructure that will fundamentally reshape how people live and invest in WA9 and the surrounding area.
If you have been watching the St Helens property market closely, this development deserves your full attention.
What is the bold forest garden village?
The Bold Forest Garden Village is the largest single housing allocation in the entire Liverpool City Region. St Helens Council Cabinet formally adopted the Masterplan Framework in January 2026, marking a pivotal moment for the borough’s long-term growth strategy.
The site sits within the Bold Forest Park corridor in southern St Helens, an area already well connected by road and rail. Its proximity to St Helens Junction station is one of its most compelling features, offering buyers realistic commuting options to Liverpool, Manchester, and Warrington without sacrificing the space and affordability that St Helens offers.
Two early planning applications — each for 220 homes — have already been submitted by Wain Estates and Taylor Wimpey, signalling that momentum is building and that first completions are on the horizon.
The housing mix: who is this development for?
One of the most important aspects of the Bold Forest Garden Village is its inclusivity. The masterplan includes a 30% affordable housing allocation, which translates to roughly 900 homes across the site. This is significant in a borough where affordability remains a genuine concern for many buyers.
Shared ownership and first-time buyer opportunities
A portion of the affordable homes will be delivered through shared ownership schemes, supported by Homes England partnerships. This opens the door for first-time buyers who may currently feel priced out of purchasing outright.
Shared ownership allows buyers to purchase a share of a property — typically between 10% and 75% — and pay rent on the remaining portion. As your financial circumstances improve, you can increase your share over time through a process known as staircasing.
For anyone currently renting in St Helens and wondering whether homeownership is within reach, the Bold Forest Garden Village could represent a genuine pathway.
Upsizing opportunities for existing homeowners
Beyond first-time buyers, the development is expected to deliver a broad range of property types, including larger family homes suited to those looking to upsize. If you currently own a property in areas such as Sutton, Clock Face, or Parr and are looking for more space without leaving the borough, the new village could be worth tracking closely.
What the St Helens property market looks like right now
To understand why this development matters, it helps to look at where the market currently stands. According to ONS data from June 2026, the average house price in St Helens is £186,000 — representing an impressive 11.1% year-on-year increase.
That level of growth reflects genuine demand across the borough, driven by buyers seeking value within commuting distance of major employment centres. Yet St Helens remains significantly more affordable than neighbouring areas such as Warrington and parts of the Wirral, which continues to attract buyers relocating from higher-cost markets.
The arrival of 3,000 new homes will add meaningful supply to the local market. However, the phased delivery of the Bold Forest Garden Village — spread over many years — means this is unlikely to cause a sudden price correction. Instead, the development is expected to support sustained, steady growth in land values across the Bold Forest Park corridor and the wider WA9 postcode.
New infrastructure: schools, healthcare, and green space
A garden village is more than just homes. The Bold Forest Garden Village masterplan includes provision for a new primary school and healthcare facilities, addressing two of the most common concerns raised by families considering a move to a new development area.
Green space is also central to the vision. The Bold Forest Park setting provides a natural backdrop that distinguishes this development from more urban schemes, offering residents access to woodland walks and open countryside — a genuine quality-of-life benefit that is increasingly valued by buyers post-pandemic.
How this fits into St Helens’ wider planning picture
The Bold Forest Garden Village does not exist in isolation. In June 2026, St Helens Council issued a Notice of Intention to begin a new Local Plan process, which will shape how and where the borough grows over the coming decades.
Crucially, the masterplan adopts a brownfield-first approach. The Bold Forest site includes former colliery and industrial land, meaning that delivering homes here actively reduces pressure on greenbelt land elsewhere in the borough. For residents concerned about the protection of St Helens’ green spaces, this is an important reassurance.
The new Local Plan process will also consider how growth in southern St Helens integrates with transport, employment, and community infrastructure — providing a coherent framework for the borough’s long-term future.
What buyers should be doing right now
Whether you are a first-time buyer exploring shared ownership, an existing homeowner thinking about upsizing, or an investor looking at long-term land value growth, there are practical steps worth taking now.
Understanding the current value of your existing property is the logical starting point. If you are planning to sell in order to buy within the new village or the surrounding area, knowing your position in the market gives you a clear advantage when the time comes to move.
At Belvoir St Helens, we are closely monitoring the Bold Forest Garden Village development and its implications for buyers and sellers across the borough. Our team can help you understand how the masterplan affects your options — whether you are buying, selling, or simply exploring what the market looks like in WA9 and beyond.
Speak to Belvoir St Helens today
The Bold Forest Garden Village represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for buyers in St Helens. With planning applications already submitted, Homes England partnerships in place, and a masterplan formally adopted by the council, this is the right moment to get informed and get prepared.
Book a free property valuation with Belvoir St Helens to find out what your current home is worth in today’s market — and how you can position yourself to make the most of the opportunities ahead.
Ready to take the next step? Contact our St Helens branch directly to speak with one of our experienced property consultants. Whether you are buying, selling, or simply curious about what Bold Forest Garden Village means for your postcode, we are here to help you move forward with confidence.
