‘Beguiling’ beauty spot could soon be home to an ‘exclusive’ village

A Waterside Mill CGI. Image taken from planning documents

An old cotton mill in Greenfield could soon be transformed into a luxury retirement village with almost 60 homes. 

Waterside Mill in Chew Valley may soon be converted into 59 flats and townhouses for the over 55s, if a planning application submitted to Oldham Council is approved. 

Plans by textile company Tanner Bros Ltd, who have owned the site for generations, would see the 200-year-old three-storey mill building converted into ‘generous sized apartments’ with one or two bedrooms and amenities for residents.

The existing office building would be turned into a lounge, gym and business centre and residents would have access to communal terraces on upper stories. 

‘Dilapidated’ former weaving sheds and storage buildings would need to be demolished to make way for several town houses. 

The retirement village would be modelled off Birtle Brook on the border between Rochdale and Bury, which describes itself as a an ‘exclusive community’ where pensioners can ‘enjoy independence’ while having access to ‘as much or as little support as they need’.

The mill is currently being used for warehousing, with various clothing and construction businesses listed at the address.

But the owners say because of the derelict state of the building and difficulty heating, the business is no longer ‘commercially viable’. 

But to make up for lost commercial space, the developers are putting in a preliminary application to construct a 10,000 square foot ‘employment unit’ at the northern end of the site.

Situated near Greenfield station, with direct links to Manchester, the retirement village would be ‘well-connected’ while overlooking the ‘beguiling landscape’ of the West Pennines and the northwest edge of the Peak District National Park. 

A planning statement written up by CJ Architects claims the plans will ‘provide a sustainable future for this unique historic complex’

No objections have been made to the planning application so far.

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