Landmark towers to be demolished
MODERN APARTMENTS AND TOWNHOUSES SET TO REPLACE PAIR OF 1970s BLOCKS
COUNCIL bosses have approved plans to demolish two iconic tower blocks.
Housing association First Choice Homes is decommissioning Crossbank House and Summervale House, which stand at the so-called ‘gateway’ to the town at the junction of Manchester Street and Oldham Way in the heart of Oldham.
The association intends to replace the 1970s-style run-down buildings with modern apartments and townhouses.
The residents of more than 240 properties around Vale Drive were moved out by the end of April this year and the two tower blocks have since been standing empty.
The town hall has now given prior approval to knock down the buildings, as well as an adjacent group of bungalows and the undercroft parking.
According to the planning documents, it is anticipated that the works will commence in January 2021, taking between four and six months to complete.
Ahead of the demolition services will be disconnected and they will assess whether there are any ‘notifiable substances’ in the buildings, including asbestos. If any asbestos is found on the site, a ‘suitably approved licensed’ removal contractor will be appointed to carry out the removal of all potentially dangerous products, according to the demolition method statement.
Demolition working hours have yet to be confirmed but they are anticipated to be between 8am and 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 4pm on Saturday, with no working on Sunday.
The demolition of the towers will make way for new family homes, as the housing association is investing £160m to build 850 properties in the borough over the next six years.
First Choice says that all the previous residents of Crossbank House and Summervale House were financially compensated and supported into alternative accommodation by its dedicated support team.
The housing association and developer Fabric Living now want to transform the area into a new development dubbed ‘West Vale’.
It would see around 90 new homes built, ranging from one bedroom apartments to ‘family homes’, which would incorporate green technology.
No planning application has yet been submitted to Oldham council for the redevelopment.