Trio of housing plans get town hall green light
NEARLY 200 new homes are to be built across three sites in Rochdale after a developer’s plans were given the green light by the town hall.
Countryside Properties has been given the goahead for 54 houses off Entwistle Road, as well as 38 new dwellings at a plot near Durham Street - both of which are close to the town centre.
And the firm has also been granted planning permission for 54 houses and two blocks of 24 apartments at a site off Roch Street, in Smallbridge.
Building on all three sites is expected to start in the new year - and these could be joined by a further 70 homes near Norwich Mill, if planning officers approve plans under delegated powers.
The majority of the houses boast two or three bedrooms, although there is a proportion of fourbedroom houses at the Roch Street site.
The apartments are a mix of one and two-bedroom flats.
All the homes are for market rent and will be managed by landlord Sigma which currently oversees five other estates in Rochdale.
Jake Crompton, senior planning officer at Countryside Properties, said the homes were of a ‘high quality’ and would ‘offer professionally managed rental homes for working families and professionals.
He told the council’s planning and licensing committee: “Our schemes prove attractive to local people looking to save for a deposit to buy a house in the future or are happy with the lifestyle and flexibility renting offers.”
The committee voted unanimously to pass the three applications with Coun Irene Davidson saying of the Roch Street proposal ‘this needs building on and building on tomorrow’.
The developments will also deliver more than half of the homes the council is required to build next year - much to the delight of housing chief Coun Daalat Ali.
But while councillor John Taylor said he welcomed brownfield development, he questioned why they were only available for rent and there were no affordable homes to help people onto the housing market.
However, Mr Crompton said that all five Sigmarun schemes across Rochdale were fully occupied and the firm’s own research indicated there was high demand for rental properties in the borough.
Councillor Jane Howard expressed concerns over the anti-social behaviour that could arise from ‘transient communities’ of people on short term rents.
But Philip Whitehead, Countryside’s regional regeneration director, said this had not been the experience of the firm’s estates.
He said: “These are used by a number of people to establish whether they wish to reside in the area. Our main aspiration is create a community, not to destroy a community.”
Ward councillor Sultan Ali added: “They may be planning for the future but in my life time I see a need for four and five-bedroom homes. I’m not too bothered about the design, that’s a matter for the community and the developer - I just want a roof over my constituents.”
Speaking after the meeting, Coun Daalat Ali, cabinet member for planning, development and housing, said he was ‘really chuffed’ to see permission granted for all three schemes.
Addressing some of the criticisms aired during the meeting he added: “Obviously any comments are welcome, councillors know their wards and those things would be taken into consideration.