Public consultation for proposed development sites across the borough opens

John Searle, Director of Economy at Rochdale Borough Council

Over 15,000 new homes could be developed in five locations across the borough as part of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF).

The sites put forward for public consultation are land in Roch Valley in Smallbridge, Trows Farm in Castleton, land to the north east of Smithy Bridge, Bamford and Norden, and land at Lane End, east of Heywood.

Overview of the local plans

Bamford and Norden
The development of the site to the west of Norden Road could see up to 750 new homes built in a bid to complement the Northern Gateway (Rochdale, Oldham and Bury). The houses would be developed to target the top end of the housing market with the intention of attracting highly skilled professionals to the area.

Roch Valley in Smallbridge
Land to be developed here would need to address flood risks, although the report states none of the proposed land is at risk of flooding. The land here is designated as protected open land as it is outside the current defined urban area, but outside the Green Belt. Approximately 300 new homes are proposed for the areas, adjacent to well-established housing areas.

Trows Farm in Castleton
The site to the south east of Castleton could deliver up to 500 new homes with good access to the M62 motorway. The land is currently designated as protected open land and is adjacent to several housing and business areas.

Land to the north east of Smithy Bridge
Around 300 homes could be developed on the site location between Rochdale Canal, Hollingworth Road and Lake Bank, all within walking distance. Any future developments should complement existing housing to the west of the site and the proposed housing on the former Akzo Nobel site in the North. A new primary school could be developed on the site to serve both Smithy Bridge and Littleborough.

Land at Lane End, east of Heywood
Approximately 600 new homes could be developed close to Junction 19 of the M62. Small scale opportunities for employment may be developed to the north of site along the East Lancashire railway extension.

Rochdale Borough Council is one of the 10 local authorities across Greater Manchester involved in the Greater Manchester Spatial Strategy, a plan to boost the economy of Rochdale with the development of new homes, business and jobs across the region.

John Searle, Director of Economy at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform the economic fortunes of our borough, with the potential to create 19,000 new jobs and around 15,500 homes over the next 20 years.”

The GMSF also includes site ‘allocations’ for sites proposed to be released from the green belt to define a ‘new’ green belt boundary for Greater Manchester. This could see green belt land across Greater Manchester reduce to 43% from the 2015 figure of 47%, despite BBC Radio Manchester reporting yesterday 'nearly 35,000 homes lie empty in the region, with nearly half considered "long-term empty"'.

The GMSF aims to:

• Set out how Greater Manchester should develop over the next two decades up to the year 2035.
• Identify the amount of new development that will come forward across the 10 districts, in terms of housing, offices, and industry and warehousing, and the main areas in which this will be focused.
• Support the delivery of key infrastructure, such as transport and utilities.
• Protect the important environmental assets across the conurbation.
• Allocate sites for employment and housing outside of the urban area.
• Define a new Green Belt boundary for Greater Manchester.

The complete plans can be viewed at https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/GMSF or view them in person at Number One Riverside and Middleton, Heywood and Littleborough libraries.

The public consultation runs until 5pm on 23 December.

Find out more by attending the drop-in event at Rochdale Central Library on Monday, 14 November 2016 from 1.30pm to 7.30pm.

Have your say:

Email: GMSF@agma.gov.uk

Write to: Greater Manchester Integrated Support Team, PO Box 532, Town Hall, Manchester M60 2LA

Register for an account at the consultation portal and leave your comments on the relevant proposal by clicking “+Add Comment” located to the top right of each page.