Three blocks of supported living flats are to be built
THREE new blocks of flats providing supported accommodation for the homeless or those at risk of homelessness will be built in Rochdale.
The site off Whitworth Road would see blocks A,
B and C contain 14 flats overall alongside space for support staff who would manage the properties.
Applicant Cornerstone Place explained that they created this plan in conjunction with the council and Rochdale-based homelessness charity, Stepping Stone Projects, who would operate the facility once construction is complete.
Rochdale Council have granted permission to build the three blocks on what is currently used as a public car park adjacent to Whitworth Road and Grasmere Street.
The land is owned and council planning papers state the primary objective of the development is “to deliver much needed accommodation to help address the homelessness crisis”.
It is a short distance away from local schools, Rochdale Infirmary as well as a plethora of pubs and takeaways.
In Block A, there would be eight flats and space for support staff, then a further four and two flats would be contained within blocks B and C
respectively. Each unit of accommodation benefits from a living room, kitchen/dining area and bathroom.
There would be no dedicated vehicle parking on site, however there would be nine cycle stands provided to the west of Block A, planning papers have shown.
A design and access statement read: “Since the three plots are currently underutilised brownfield land, the primary opportunity
of developing these sites is to make better use of their potential by providing much needed accommodation for service users.
“Integrating the new accommodation within the established communities is challenging, not least because the physical characteristics of the site limits how the urban form can be harmonised.
“However, there is an opportunity to create a positive living environment
for future residents and to help them gain stability and independence.
“The separation into three blocks blends the facilities into the surroundings as a series of dwellings, rather than a larger facility within a single building, which would inevitably be more institutional.
“As such, the scale, proportion, and appearance of the new buildings supports the integration of service users into society.”