Green light for 20-home plans

PLANS for a housing development of affordable homes in Stanley Road in Oldham have been approved.

Councillors met to discuss plans for 20 dwellings to be erected on the site of the now demolished Conservative Club.

The plans were originally deferred in April to allow the applicant to submit further information to show the financial viability affecting the viability of the development site.

Councillor Eddie Moores said: "This site is nothing but brick and rubble and it needs something doing to it."

The proposed layout will feature four terrace blocks around a central access road from Stanley Road with two blocks set within the site.

The development will cause the loss of open space in terms of the bowling green. However, this has been outweighed by the need for affordable housing in the area and will also show an effective use of land.

The development will offer residents close proximity to Corpus Christi Primary School, Stanley Road Primary School, Hawksley Business Employment Area and local bus services which will provide good connections to Oldham town centre and Manchester.

The dwellings will be developed with a layout that will reflect the character of the local area and each property will feature appropriate garden space as well as one parking space.

The proposals were approved pending a site investigation and risk assessment into coal mining activity has been submitted to the local authority and that no work to trees and shrubs or demolition occur between May 31 and August 31 in any year so to ensure the protection of bird habitats and all dwellings provided will fall into the bracket of affordable housing.



*COUNCILLORS also approved plans for a 32-plot housing development to begin on the site of Failsworth Mill.

The approval of the development on the old mill site ­- which was demolished in 2014 ­- will utilise a brownfield plot at Ashton Road West to provide an attractive canalside development which will enhance the appearance and the character of the immediate surroundings.

Tom Whitehead, who represented Brookhouse Group at the meeting, said: "If this site is approved we will start development on it this year, I think we will agree that this is an area that needs redevelopment."

The development on the site which is close to Failsworth town centre and surrounded by Rochdale Canal to the north and Ashton Road West to the south will provide affordable housing in close proximity to local services with the Tesco Express, Aldi and Failsworth Group Practice Doctors all within a ten minute walk of the site.

An initial application was placed by Cheshire-based property developers Brookhouse Group in October, 2010, which was agreed by the planning committee in April, 2012.

However, construction didn't begin because of difficulties the company faced during the downturn and Brookhouse asked for an extension to the planning permission.

The application was approved subject to a legal agreement in regards to a commuted sum of £31,400 for the improvement of the public towpath between the Tesco Bridge and Ashton Road West.