Residents help shape the future of home designs in Rochdale

Date article online: 05/07/2006

Residents are telling architects exactly what they want to see in a new state-of-the-art housing development in the Wardleworth neighbourhood of Rochdale as part of plans to transform the area by Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder.

Some 80 local residents attended an event at the Kashmir Youth Project on Belfield Road on Wednesday 28 June to take a look at revised plans for new three and four bedroom houses and two bedroom apartments on a cleared site at Trafalgar Street, Buckingham Street, The Pass, Ramsay Street and Kitchen Street.

The original plans were adapted to fit in with residents’ feedback following an initial HMR consultation with them at a previous event at the end of May.

And residents were more than happy to see their comments had been acted upon.

Rochdale Borough Council Property Adviser Nicola Carter said: "The new plans were met with a very positive response at what was a very well attended event by a wide range of people from the community including residents from within the clearance inspections programme. I think people were genuinely pleased that we had taken on board their comments and gone back to the architects. It’s given residents the feeling that this impressive new development really is being designed with them at the forefront of the architects’ plans."

The initial designs include linked terrace/courtyard houses with the ability for people to join a three and four bedroom house to make a larger home. The Wardleworth Community Centre would be at the heart of the development.

The early plans, which have been created by OMI Architects, included a total of around 50 homes comprising a mix of four bedroom and three bedroom houses, as well as two bedroom apartments. Some of the four bedroom homes would be offered for shared ownership and rent through West Pennine Housing Association, part of the Regenda Group. However, the majority of properties will be for sale.

Now with residents’ input the designs have been modified to include:

• Adapted overlooking landing windows and heightened garden walls to give more privacy
• Increased "courtyard’ garden space
• Review of home zone proposals
• Creating an extra four-bedroom house design blueprint in addition to the existing one.

The development will be the first that Base - a consortium of developers of Barratt and Artisan - will deliver in the Pathfinder area. It is part of multi-million pound plans to transform areas of the borough where housing has suffered by providing a better choice of homes and an improved environment.

The plans have followed Asian Housing Design Guidelines and they are also aiming to achieve an Ecohomes* very good standard.  The development will open up a route directly to the town hall which will be in sight from the street.                                                           

The plans will now be submitted through the normal planning applications. It is expected that work could begin by September.

* Ecohomes is a building ratings system which aims to maximise environmental sustainability through the use of materials from "green’ sources, as well as reduce living and maintenance costs through energy efficiency.