Back to the drawing board at Spotland Road site

Plans to transform the riverside on Spotland Road have been re-submitted almost a year after provisional planning permission was granted on the Dexine factory site.

The original plan was to convert the Dexine rubber works site into homes and business space but, after speaking to 22 housing developers to see if they would be interested in tendering for the development, only seven responded and by July this year they had all declined to take their interest further.

Now the elusive 'Spotland Developments Ltd', which is not a UK registered company, according to the current Companies House database, and for whom no contact information can be found within the planning application, have made another bid to build 100 homes and one commercial building, together with car parking and landscaping, at the site - only this time they will demolish all of the existing buildings before work begins, in the hope that this will attract a developer.

The conversion element of the original scheme was one of the main reasons that developers declined to take their interest in the site further because most wanted a 100% new build project.

When the original planning application was passed, the Save Spodden Valley group welcomed the scheme, saying that it respected and preserved the industrial heritage of the area whilst creating new opportunities for housing in a development that faced the river Spodden.

Now the group says that the council and the developers are keeping the re-submitted plans out of the public eye.

A spokesperson said: "We only found out about these new applications due to an eagle eyed observer.

"The community consultation for various stakeholders that have expressed an interest for the future of the Spodden valley has been non existent. This is despite the efforts of a variety of community groups to promote our valley in a positive manner: SSV, friends of Healey Dell, ding quarry action group, the Spotland area forum and the Spod gorge subcomittee all appear to have been kept in the dark.

"Some may ask why citizens should even bother getting involved with processes such as local development frameworks (LDFs) when it appears the council and developers seem to ride roughshod over the public participatory process.

"Now we see a move to demolish everything and try for plans that have no heritage features retained. This could amount to civic vandalism and a profitable roll of the dice for property speculators."

Before building goes ahead the developers must generate a scheme to improve the road junctions of Bridgefold Road with Spotland Road, Mellor Street with Spotland Road, Edenfield Road with Spotland Road and Rooley Moor Road with Spotland Road.

The plans, which have been drawn up by architecture firm Frank Whittle Partnership, based in Preston, would see the Spotland Road mill buildings replaced with modern housing and business space.

The development must include provision for affordable housing and recreational open space.