Derelict warehouses could be replaced by ‘eco-village’ set around community cafe and gardens

A former industrial site in Oldham could be transformed into 32 new homes part of an ‘eco village’ in Hollinwood.

The mixture of houses and apartment blocks at Pretoria Lane would be built around communal gardens and a community cafe, according to plans submitted by Max Kohanzad from Eco Village Industries Ltd. 

The site is currently occupied by derelict warehouses, which the developers say could only be brought back into use at great expense and effort.

These would need to be demolished. 

In their place, two semi-detached homes off Collier Hill Avenue would mark the start of the ‘village’.

Three low-rise buildings would form the bulk of the housing complex, arranged around a large shared green space with a pond and a community space or cafe. 

Each building would also have private gardens, some of which face towards the communal spaces.

A four-storey building on Pretroria Road would contain seven flats, four maisonettes and a HMO. 

A staggered building going from two to three floors on Collier Hill would be home to three maisonettes and three flats while the ‘Wild Garden Building’ will have 12 flats across four floors.

All of the homes would have access to either a garden or a balcony.  

The lowest, visible roofs would serve as ‘lush’ greened spaces, while those out of sight would hide solar panels and heat pumps providing energy for the new homes, according to the plans. 

Residents in the little community would have access to 18 car parking spaces with EV charging points, which are relegated to the edge of the complex. 

The developers claim they want to use a ‘communal design’ to make ‘neighbourly spaces’ and create pedestrian streets where ‘children can play’.

They reported that during a public consultation, neighbour raised concerns about traffic along Pretoria Road, including ‘bottle-necking during school drop-offs’. 

Locals also ‘raised upset about the closure of the local community hall’, according to Eco Village Industries, which resulted in the design of a new community space as part of the plans. 

The plans have received zero comments so far and are due to be decided by December 27.

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