12,000 new homes in borough masterplan
AREWORKED masterplan that will shape how Rochdale develops over the coming 20 years has finally been revealed.
The vision for the borough’s future includes more than 12,000 new homes and nearly 1m square metres of employment space - as well as major improvements to the road, rail and Metrolink networks.
It forms part of the longawaited new Greater Manchester Spatial Framework draft, which was signed off by local leaders and Mayor Andy Burnham in Manchester on Monday.
The original blueprint sparked huge controversy in Rochdale and across Greater Manchesterlargely over the amount of green belt land proposed to be sacrificed for new homes and businesses.
But when Mr Burnham was elected in May 2017 he told town hall chiefs to go back to the drawing board - expressing an ambition for ‘no net loss’ of green belt and a ‘significant reduction’ in the amount of protected land included in the plan.
The second draft was expected in June last year. But forecasts suggesting the conurbation’s population would not grow as quickly as once thought and confusion over government house-building targets - led to the new draft being put back five times.
Rochdale bosses believe they have addressed the most controversial aspects of the original plan, while retaining a vision that will see the borough become a key player in Greater Manchester’s economic future.
The plan will still see 635 hectares of Rochdale’s green belt land sacrificed for development - down from the 787 hectares included in the original draft.
But due to chiefs putting 175 hectares of land into the green belt for the first time - including parts of the Roch Valley and Firgrove Playing Fields - just shy of 60pc of the borough would be retained as green belt once everything included in the plan is built.
That represents a 2.9pc loss of green belt, as opposed to the 4.6pc loss in the 2016 spatial framework plan - meaning Rochdale will have the highest proportion of green belt of any of Greater Manchester’s borough.
Council leader Allen Brett said: “Rochdale is a hugely ambitious borough and we’re planning for major growth in the future.
“By bringing thousands of new jobs and homes, as well as substantial investment, this plan will help us play an even bigger role in Greater Manchester in the future and bring our prosperity in line with other parts of the city region.”
A drop in Rochdale’s projected housing need from 775 per year to 643 per year and identifying alternative sites for development have helped bosses slash the amount of the borough’s green belt lost in the plan.
And they say that the three most controversial developments in the original plan - which accounted for around 90pc of objections - have now been taken out or changed to reflect residents’ concerns.
The first of these is green belt land to the south of Newhey, which has now been pulled from the plan altogether. Instead, up to 250 new homes will be built at Newhey Quarry.
The brownfield site is close to the M62 and Newhey Metrolink and will come hand-in-hand with a new Metrolink park and ride. It will also end residents’ concerns over a resumption in quarrying activity.
The 2016 plan also included the controversial release of green belt land around Junction 20 of the M62 and the east of the A627(M) around Tandle Hill Country Park for employment use.
But this has now been withdrawn, although there will still be residential development to the north of the A627(M) spur road near Stakehill.
Plans to build 750 homes in Bamford and Norden were also a major bone of contention in the original spatial framework proposals, particularly as they involved the loss of sports pitches and facilities in the area.
However that has now been reduced to a figure of 450 homes - meaning that, not only will the recreational land be saved but any development in the area will have to come hand-in-hand with a commitment to improve and enhance those amenities.
As well as Newhey Quarry, two other major new sites have been identified for development, easing the pressure on green belt land.
Some 125 new homes will be built at the derelict Castleton sidings and this will also come with improvements to highways and a new cycleway, as well as the extension of the East Lancs Railway into Heywood.
And, in Heywood, the restoration of the Grade II* listed Crimble Mill and development of nearby Mutual Mills, in Heywood, could also provide up to 250 high-quality new homes. These proposals will also include enhanced recreational open space, public transport and new school places at All Souls CE Primary School.
There will also be new green belt created around Queen’s Park.
Mr Robinson said that, in basic terms, the development had replaced a previous proposal to develop at Lane End.
He said: “We think Crimble Mill has a much more coherent regeneration story to tell around that site and overall we don’t need the same amount of housing we needed last time so that’s been withdrawn.
Chiefs also say there is a lack of ‘high-end’ housing in the borough, and as well as the Crimble Mill site, are looking to build more expensive houses in the Roch Valley and around north east of Smithy Bridge.
The 450 homes in Bamford and Norden will also tend towards the highend.
Mark Robinson, assistant director of economy at Rochdale Council, said: “if we are to attract businesses into Rochdale we have to have a housing offer to attract those businesses as well.
“We can’t just have the employment (development) we have to have the housing offer that attract the employees for those businesses as well.”
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