Home alone

DETACHED terrace . . . the last house standing on Acre Lane, Derker, could soon have some company

A NEW 51-home housing development could be built around the last remaining Victorian terrace property standing on a Derker street.

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) has submitted plans to build 51 properties over four sites in the Acre Lane area of Derker.

Included within the proposals, which covers 1.2 hectares of land, are plans to build on land either side of 123 Acre Lane, the only remaining house on the site.

It follows the demolition of dozens of Victorian terrace properties in 2011 and 2012 on either side of the property after the owner refused to sell up alongside other residents.

The terrace property remained standing on site during the demolition, with the construction of two new gable walls added. As part of the application, further new homes will be built on the opposite side of Acre Lane as well as at a parcel of land to the north of the Lane, at the junction with Fontwell Lane.

A new cul-de-sac will also be created off Frances Street to provide access to the new homes.

The development proposals include 21 two-bedroom properties and 30 three-bedroom properties with each home benefitting from a rear garden and two parking spaces.

All properties would be offered as rent-to-buy homes, a scheme which gives working households the chance to rent at an intermediate rent to give them the opportunity to save for a deposit to buy their first home.

According to a planning statement: "Oldham's Strategic Housing Market Assessment reported that the availability of affordable housing within the borough has dramatically reduced as a result of a reduction in council-owned stock, an increasing buy-to-let market, house price inflation, demographic changes and the poor quality of much of the private housing stock.

"Therefore, this development of 51 properties will provide a significant contribution to the housing market and may have the benefit of releasing existing affordable properties back to the social rental market."

A public drop-in consultation has been held, where local residents raised concerns about traffic, the removal of large trees and anti-social behaviour during construction, with FCHO stating with the application that these comments will be carefully considered.

The planning application states that some trees, none of which are covered by tree protection orders, will be demolished as part of the development with further planting planned for an informal open space at the northern end of Acre Lane.

Two public rights of way within the north of site linking Frances Street and Fontwell Lane will be removed as part of the development however an in increase walking time from two minutes to five minutes, has not been considered unreasonable by the applicant.

Ecological appraisals have also been undertaken and found no evidence of any specific protected species at the site or surrounding area would be negatively affected.

Dave Woods, homes and investment director of First Choice Homes, said: "First Choice Homes Oldham is committed to delivering at least 800 new homes across the borough over the next five years to help address the housing crisis across Oldham. These new homes will support around 18,000 people currently on the waiting lists and help more families take their first steps on the property ladder.

"Proposals for Acre Lane will see 51 new homes, all available as rent-to-buy properties.

"First Choice Homes is committed to working with the local community on its development plans and has held conversations with the owner of the property directly affected by our proposals at the Acre Lane site."

The Chronicle made attempts to contact the occupant of 123 Acre Lane.