A new apartment block could be built on the site of a former church in Runcorn if a planning application is given the green light.

Plans have been submitted by Onward Homes housing association for a site on The Ridgeway in Murdishaw. The plans consist of a three-storey building which would feature 12, one and two bedroom flats.

All 12 homes would be made available through rent-to-buy, meaning that residents would pay a reduced rental rate of around 80 per cent of market rent while they save for a deposit on their home.

The site is owned by Onward and  is currently empty and surrounded by a protective boundary fence. It used to contain Murdishaw Methodist Church which was demolished in 2020.

If given the go ahead by the council’s planning department, the new block would contain nine, one bedroom flats and three, two bed apartments.

A design and access statement submitted in support of the plans said an online public consultation and letter drop had taken place in September and the scheme had been generally ‘well received’.

The statement added: "The proposed apartment scheme proposes to utilise the site which will likely remain empty and closed off from the public if not developed."

The Ridgeway connects the site to Barnfield Avenue and is bordered by housing on the north with  a recently built residential development across the road and a school playing field to the west.

The statement said the scheme would include off-road parking so as to not adversely impact the surrounding streets.

It added: “In conclusion, we believe the proposal is suitable for the area and provides much needed new high quality housing in the community.

"The design of the elevations is in keeping with the surrounding area, whiles at the same time providing visual elements that aim to diversify the architectural language of the built environment.”

No date has yet been set for a decision.