Buckshaw Village (often shortened to Buckshaw) is a 21st-century village and industrial area between the towns of

Chorley Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth ca ...

and Leyland in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, England, developed on the site of the former Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) Chorley. It had a population of 4,000. It is divided between the

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

es of

Euxton Euxton ( ) is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Chorley, Lancashire, England. The population at the 2011 census was 9,993, but is now estimated to be around 14,000 due to housing developments in the village, including at Buckshaw. ...

(south) and

Whittle-le-Woods Whittle-le-Woods (commonly shortened to Whittle) is a village and civil parish of the Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 5,434. Whittle-le-Woods lies on the A6, about three ...

(north east) in

, with the north western part being in Leyland

unparished area In England, an unparished area is an area that is not covered by a civil parish (the lowest level of local government, not to be confused with an ecclesiastical parish). Most urbanised districts of England are either entirely or partly unparis ...

South Ribble South Ribble is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. Its council is based in Leyland. The borough includes the towns and villages of Penwortham, Leyland, Farington, Farington Moss, Hutton, Longton, Walmer B ...

district. The new development covers several square miles, mainly consisting of the part of

known as Buckshaw, which was requisitioned by the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

in the 1930s. It is described by developers

Redrow plc Redrow plc was one of the largest British housebuilders with a network of 12 operational divisions across the UK. It was based in Flintshire, Wales and employed 2,300 people. In October 2024, its merger with Barratt Developments was finalised an ...

as "One of the largest brownfield schemes of its kind throughout Europe"; , they report that over 3,000 homes have been built and 10,000 jobs created.

Sustainability

The area is being developed in line with

sustainable development Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...

principles and aims to transform a former

brownfield Brownfield is previously-developed land that has been abandoned or underused, and which may carry pollution, or a risk of pollution, from industrial use. The specific definition of brownfield land varies and is decided by policy makers and l ...

munitions Ammunition, also known as ammo, is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. The term includes both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines), and the component parts of ...

site. All

landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal ...

is designed so that no earth is transported off-site,Lancashire County Council (2007
Local Transport Plan Delivery Report
www site, accessed 26 June 2007 with the stripped

top soil Top most commonly refers to: * Top, a basic term of orientation, distinguished from bottom, front, back, and sides * Spinning top, a ubiquitous traditional toy * Top (clothing), clothing designed to be worn over the torso * Mountain top, a mount ...

now present in

mound A mound is a wikt:heaped, heaped pile of soil, earth, gravel, sand, rock (geology), rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded ...

s dotted around the village. A trial scheme is in progress which uses recycled garden waste combined with sandy clay (

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...

) to produce

compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by Decomposition, decomposing plant and food waste, recycling organic materials, and man ...

. The compost is then spread over the mounds to produce woodland areas and green public spaces. The transport strategy also incorporates sustainable principles with cycle lanes and public transport included in the masterplan. Improvements to the neighbouring M6 and M61 junctions have also been made. Public transport is catered for by the new railway station that has been built. Designing for

storm water Stormwater, also written storm water, is water that originates from precipitation (storm), including heavy rain and meltwater from hail and snow. Stormwater can soak into the soil ( infiltrate) and become groundwater, be stored on depressed lan ...

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils can prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditions that harm root gro ...

run-off uses

sustainable urban drainage systems Sustainable drainage systems (also known as SuDS, which ensure no discharge leaves the site into neighbouring water courses. Measures include roadside verge soakaways and the use of

retention pond A retention basin, sometimes called a retention pond, wet detention basin, or storm water management pond (SWMP), is an artificial pond with vegetation around the perimeter and a permanent pool of water in its design. It is used to manage st ...

s, which are fully integrated into the landscaping. Amenities include a village centre (developed by Eden Park Developments Ltd) with shops and all-weather sports pitches, one of the five primary schools in Euxton and a medical centre. Planning permission was approved in February 2007 for a community centre which also provides office facilities for the local police.

Industry / commerce

New industrial units in Buckshaw Village - geograph

Two halves of the development are separated by a new road called Central Avenue. To the west is an industrial and commercial centre known as Matrix Business Park. Planning permission was granted in January 2007 for Buckshaw Village's first pub. The Pub which is owned and run by Marston's was named the Bobbin Mill, and is situated in Plot 1000B of Matrix Park, which opened on 7 April 2008. Another major road, Buckshaw Avenue has been built running west–east through Buckshaw Village connecting Central Avenue to the A6. Buckshaw Avenue opened to the public in May 2007.

Revolution Park

Plans were announced in February 2006 for a new industrial development called Revolution Park, by property developers HelioSlough (a joint venture between Helios Properties PLC and

Slough Estates SEGRO plc (formerly known as Slough Estates Group) is a British property investment and development company based in London, England. It develops and invests in property located in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe focusing on edge of to ...

). The site is accessed via Buckshaw Avenue and is situated in the south-east portion of the Buckshaw Village site. This is adjacent to the plot occupied by Lex Auto Logistics' new distribution centre, completed in late 2006.

Buckshaw Link

Another commercial development by Helioslough, called Buckshaw Link, had been built and completed by late 2010 and all the businesses were in place by 2011. The industrial estate is situated on land to the west of Revolution Park. A number of warehouse and industrial units are situated there, with of space left over for other usage. Multipart Solutions Limited the successor to Chorley's

Leyland Trucks Leyland Trucks is a medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturer based in Leyland, Lancashire, United Kingdom. It can trace its origins back to the original Leyland Motors, which was founded in 1896, and subsequently evolved into British Leyland ...

unit moved to a new purpose built site on Buckshaw in 2007. Badger Office Supplies, the largest supplier of remanufactured ink and 12th fastest growing company in the United Kingdom, is situated near the

Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...

supermarket. Merlin Cycles are one of the UK's longest established online bike shops and mail order specialists. They are based in unit A1, Ordnance Road.

Housing

Up to 2000 new housing units are being built by various housebuilders, including Redrow,

Barratt Homes Barratt Redrow plc is one of the largest residential property development companies in the United Kingdom operating across England, Wales and Scotland. It is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. It was originally based in Newcastle upon Tyn ...

Persimmon The persimmon () is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus '' Diospyros''. The most widely cultivated of these is the Chinese and Japanese kaki persimmon, ''Diospyros kaki''. In 2022, China produced 77% of the world's p ...

, and Rowland Homes. The homes are mainly targeted at the family market but many of the new homes are also specifically aimed at first-time buyers with measures such as

shared ownership Equity sharing is another name for shared ownership or '' co-ownership''. It takes one property, more than one owner, and blends them to maximize profit and tax deductions. Typically, the parties find a home and buy it together as co-owners, but ...

schemes. Additionally, a joint venture between the Hica Group and Caddick Group sees the construction of a new retirement village designed to accommodate 200 homes aimed at over 55's. This will be situated to the west of Central Avenue adjacent to

BAE Systems BAE Systems plc is a British Multinational corporation, multinational Aerospace industry, aerospace, military technology, military and information security company, based in London. It is the largest manufacturer in Britain as of 2017. It is ...

. There is also an eco-friendly village built in conjunction with scientists from

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

, who are testing various experimental and environmentally friendly principles. The homes will use a variety of energy sources, from

geothermal Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to: * Geothermal energy, useful energy generated and stored in the Earth * Geothermal activity, the range of natural phenomena at or near the surface, associated with release of the Earth's internal he ...

and

solar power Solar power, also known as solar electricity, is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Solar panels use the photovoltaic effect to c ...

wind energy Wind power is the use of wind energy to generate useful work. Historically, wind power was used by sails, windmills and windpumps, but today it is mostly used to generate electricity. This article deals only with wind power for electricity ...

. The scheme is now a show village after opening on 25 May 2006. This scheme was extended into a new development by Persimmon Homes into the Water's Edge development, which features an extension to the local Trinity Church of England/Methodist Primary School. The homes also offer different ways of generating power, such as the solar panels seen on many houses.

Heritage

There are two

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

s in this area that the ROF had a duty of care over. The smaller of these is Worden Old Hall, a grade II* listed building from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth century which was the ancestral seat of the Farrington family of Worden and not part of Euxton, but rather part of South Ribble. It had fallen into disrepair to the extent that it appeared on

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, a battlefield, medieval castles, Roman forts, historic industrial sites, Lis ...

's Buildings At Risk register, but was redeveloped by the Maysand Group over three years, finishing in August 2006 The other building is probably the oldest intact building in Euxton, namely

Buckshaw Hall Buckshaw Hall is a grade II* listed 17th-century country house in Buckshaw Village, Euxton, some north-west of Chorley, England. History The Buckshaw Estate was originally owned by the Anderton family of Euxton Hall, who in 1652 sold it to Majo ...

, which was built in the 1650s for the Robinson family, land owners from

. Both buildings are located not far from the area known as Upper Buckshaw.

Transport

Road connections nearby include the motorways M6 and M61, as well as the A6 and A49 roads. Buckshaw Parkway railway station is one of Euxton's two railway stations (the other being Euxton Balshaw Lane railway station); it opened on 3 October 2011. The railway station is situated opposite

Runshaw College Runshaw College is a Further education, Higher and Further Education college based in Leyland, Lancashire, Leyland, England. History Runshaw College was established in 1974. It initially catered solely for school leavers from Balshaw's Church o ...

, and provides 2tph south to

Manchester Airport Manchester Airport is an international airport in Ringway, Manchester, England, south-west of Manchester city centre. In 2024, it was the third busiest airport in the United Kingdom in terms of passengers (the busiest outside of London) ...

or 2tph north to Blackpool North through Preston. Two public bus routes operate through the village, with both routes operating between Chorley and Preston. The half-hourly 109 service is run by

Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire is a major operator of bus services in North West England. It is a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group and is headquartered in Liverpool. History Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire can trace i ...

and operates through Central Avenue then northbound to Leyland, Lostock Hall and Walton-le-Dale and southbound to Euxton. The hourly 119 service is operated by Tyrers Coaches on behalf of Lancashire County Council through the industrial estate and Old Worden Avenue then northbound to Leyland and Penwortham and southbound to Chorley Hospital. The 119 mainly operates through the village on a similar route to the former 109A and does not operate on Sundays. Buckshaw is also served by school buses and buses to Runshaw College. The developers of Buckshaw Village have incorporated an extensive cycle network into the masterplan and were awarded the 2005

Sustrans Sustrans ( ) is a United Kingdom-based walking, wheeling and cycling charity, and the custodian of the National Cycle Network. Its flagship project is the National Cycle Network, which has created of signed cycle routes throughout the United ...

National Cycle Network The National Cycle Network (NCN) was established to encourage cycling and walking throughout the United Kingdom, as well as for the purposes of bicycle touring. It was created by the charity Sustrans who were aided by a £42.5 million N ...

Award for Excellence for Developer Infrastructure.Lancashire County Council (2007
Local Transport Plan
, www site, accessed 4 May 2007 Buckshaw Village forms part of the National Cycle Route 55 of the National Cycle Network.

Divisions

Buckshaw Village is split with sections in three Parish and Borough boundaries. Matrix Park and the northwest tip of the area is in Leyland (i.e.

Borough Council) with a few homes on the Eastern side when built falling within the

parish boundary. The majority of the residents live in the geographic part of

. Both

and

Parish Councils fall within

Chorley Borough Council Chorley is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Chorley in Lancashire, England, north of Wigan, south west of Blackburn, north west of Bolton, south of Preston and north west of Manchester. The town's wealth came p ...

, where the development largely falls in the Buckshaw & Whittle Ward, with a smaller part of the development falling in the Euxton Ward. In regards to Lancashire County Council, the majority of Buckshaw continues to sit with Euxton under the Euxton, Buckshaw & Astley Division.

References

{{authority control Villages in Lancashire Geography of Chorley Geography of South Ribble Planned communities in England