New expanding homes being planned for Wardleworth

Date published: 27/05/2006

Plans to transform the Wardleworth area with modern new homes have been unveiled to the community by the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder.

More than 130 people turned out at a drop-in event on Wednesday 24 May at the Wardleworth Community Centre to find out about the proposals to build new three and four bedroom houses and two bedroom apartments on a cleared site at Trafalgar Street, South Street, Buckingham Street, The Pass, Ramsey Street and Kitchen Street. 

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 proposal also includes home zones to encourage people to use the space around their homes more as a social space with outdoor seating and planting.

The early plans, which have been created by OMI Architects, include a total of 54 homes - 22 would be four bedroom, 22 would be three bedroom and 10 would be two bedroom apartments.  Some of the four bedroom homes would be offered for shared ownership and rent through West Pennine, part of the Regenda Group.

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.

Donna Bowler, Urban Regeneration Manager for Rochdale Council, said: "We had a really positive response at the drop-in event.  This is an exciting opportunity to completely transform the Wardleworth area. The modern design is still in the terraced format, so is sympathetic to the housing nearby, but it provides the kind of space and quality that people in the community have been telling us they want."

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.

More detailed community consultation will take place.  It is expected that work could begin on site by the end of the year.