Housing boost for heart of Rochdale

Date published: 14 November 2018

Central Rochdale could be set for a house-building boom after three planning applications were submitted for the heart of the borough.

Developer Countryside Properties wants to build a total of 160 new homes across sites in Durham Street, Norwich Street and Entwisle Road.

The largest proposed development is at land off Norwich Street, where 70 new houses could be built, while there are plans for 36 and 54 homes near Durham Street and Entwisle Road, respectively.

They include a mix of semi-detached and terraced dwellings and there are up to six different types of homes featured throughout the sites.

Councillor Daalat Ali - deputy council leader and cabinet member for planning, development and housing – said it was an exciting time for the borough.

He said: “Obviously we are trying to attract more people and it assists our growth and housing strategy. We need housing, it goes hand-in-hand with our growth.

“We have got a local plan and are waiting for the spatial framework, but the houses that will be built help us to achieve the target we have set for building houses.”

He continued: “We are quite excited our town centre is coming on; the Kingsway development and other industrial developments in the pipeline and we have got housing, so the borough is moving forward and this element goes towards us taking that step.”

The houses proposed for land off Norwich Street would be built immediately to the south of the Grade II Listed Norwich Street Mill, which dates back to around 1860.

Countryside Properties says the new homes have been ‘carefully designed to minimise impact’ to the historic building from the days the area supported a booming cotton industry.

A design and access statement submitted with the application reads: “The site is located in a highly sustainable urban area and would result in the redevelopment of an unsightly undeveloped site. This will significantly enhance the visual amenity of the locality.”

It adds that the new homes would bring ‘environmental improvement through the redevelopment of a brownfield site which currently does not positively contribute to the visual character of the area’.

The site off Durham Street is also close to Norwich Mill, but a planning statement claims the development would have ‘no significant impact on the mill and the effect of the new homes would be ‘be neutral or beneficial, as its significance will be preserved or enhanced’.

The land is categorised as a mixed employment zone by the council but has been vacant for some time. 
A planning statement reads: “It is clear from existing and emerging policy and guidance that the site is considered suitable for residential development and that the regeneration benefits provided by high quality residential development on this former employment site outweigh its loss”.

Finally the River Roch is intended to be a ‘prominent feature’ at the Entwisle Road site.

A document submitted with the application says an area of open land will ‘provide a buffer zone’ between the river and the homes ‘enhancing the scheme’s attractive sense of place, character and identity. The visual connection between the built and natural environment is greatly improved.’

A spokesperson for Countryside Properties said: “Investment in new developments underpins Rochdale Council’s Housing Strategy, a key objective of which is to raise the quality of housing stock across the borough.

“Countryside has submitted a number of new developments for planning, through which we intend to deliver an abundant supply of high quality new homes that serve the rising demand in the Rochdale market, doing so while creating distinct new neighbourhoods where local families can thrive.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter