Green light for nearly 200 homes across three sites

Nearly 200 new homes are to be built across three sites in Rochdale after a developer’s plans were given the green light by Rochdale Borough Council's planning and licensing committee on Wednesday (19 December).

Countryside Properties has been given the go-ahead for 54 houses off Entwistle Road, as well as 38 new dwellings at a plot near Durham Street – both of which are close to the town centre.

And the firm has also been granted planning permission for 54 houses and two blocks of 24 apartments at a site off Roch Street, in Smallbridge.

Building on all three sites is expected to start in the new year – and these could be joined by a further 70 homes near Norwich Mill, Durham Street, if planning officers approve plans under delegated powers.

The majority of the houses boast two or three bedrooms, although there is a proportion of four-bedroom houses at the Roch Street site.

The apartments are a mix of one and two-bedroom flats.

All the homes are for market rent and will be managed by landlord Sigma which currently oversees five other estates in Rochdale.

Jake Crompton, senior planning officer at Countryside Properties, said the homes were of a ‘high quality’ and would ‘offer professionally managed rental homes for working families and professionals.

He told the council’s planning and licensing committee: “Our schemes prove attractive to local people looking to save for a deposit to buy a house in the future or are happy with the lifestyle and flexibility renting offers.”

The committee voted unanimously to pass the three applications with Councillor Irene Davidson saying, of the Roch Street proposal, ‘this needs building on and building on tomorrow.’

The developments will also deliver more than half of the homes the council is required to build next year – much to the delight of housing chief Councillor Daalat Ali.

But there were concerns raised along the way.

Councillor John Taylor said he welcomed brownfield development but questioned why they were only available for rent and there were no affordable homes to help people onto the housing market.

However, Mr Crompton said that all five Sigma-run schemes across Rochdale were fully occupied and the firm’s own research indicated there was high demand for rental properties in the borough.

He added that the firm would not rent properties to anyone if the rate was over 30% of their household income, so as not to overstretch them.

There were also criticisms of the uniform nature of Countryside Properties estates.

Councillor Irene Davidson said she had ‘a lot of respect for Countryside Properties’ but added: “We’ve got three sites before us today, and they all look like little chocolate boxes. They don’t go with the areas; they stand out like sore thumbs.”

However Mr Crompton said the homes were ‘very popular’ with people and would significantly improve the sites in comparison with their current state.

Councillor Jane Howard expressed concerns over the anti-social behaviour that could arise from ‘transient communities’ of people on short term rents.

Philip Whitehead, Countryside’s regional regeneration director, said this had not been the experience of the firm’s estates.

He said: “These are used by a number of people to establish whether they wish to reside in the area. Our main aspiration is create a community, not to destroy a community”

Mr Whitehead added that there was also the opportunity for tenants to move on to longer term rents.

And ward councillor Sultan Ali told the meeting there was a high demand for four and five-bedroom homes for larger families in the area – and called on the developer to ‘rethink and reconfigure’ their plans.

He said: “They may be planning for the future but in my life time I see a need for four and five-bedroom homes. I’m not too bothered about the design, that’s a matter for the community and the developer – however, I just want a roof over my constituents.”

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Daalat Ali, cabinet member for planning, development and housing, said he was ‘really chuffed’ to see permission granted for all three schemes.

Addressing some of the criticisms aired during the meeting, he added: “Obviously any comments are welcome, councillors know their wards and those things would be taken into consideration.

“These sites are magnets for fly-tipping: they are just sat there doing nothing, they are black-holes in those development areas.”

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporter