Capital & Centric to deliver new 'neighbourhood' housing development in Rochdale

Artist's impression of the redevelopment of the former Central Retail Park site off Drake Street in Rochdale

Rochdale Borough Council, in partnership with Rochdale Development Agency, has agreed a deal to bring social impact developer Capital & Centric to the town, with a vision to redevelop the former Central Retail Park site close to Rochdale town centre into a thriving new community.

The brownfield site will be the first in the UK to deliver Capital & Centric’s new housing concept ‘Neighbourhood’.

Neighbourhood Rochdale will include over 200 suburban homes for rent, including a mix of modern, spacious and low carbon homes. It will also include a linear park, running track, gym and community hub alongside community space such as café-bars and delis.

The site is a short walk from both the train station and Rochdale town centre. The site, which borders Drake Street, has been vacant for nearly a decade, was previously occupied by Wynsors, Focus and MFI and was acquired by Rochdale Council in December 2018:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/124923/rochdale-council-pushes-forward-residential-strategy-for-town-centre-following-£13.2m-acquisition

The plans are part of the council's transformation of Rochdale town centre, which is in the middle of a £400m regeneration programme.

Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for regeneration, business, skills and employment at Rochdale Borough Council, and board member at the Rochdale Development Agency and chair of the Rochdale Stations Alliance, said: “With millions already invested into Rochdale town centre, we’ve set the bar very high in terms of want to achieve here and this type of high quality housing is the perfect fit.

"To see the first large scheme come forward from Rochdale’s Rail Corridor strategy is a major milestone and shows the commitment to the strategy. “The work we’re doing to create a high quality retail and leisure offer and a reimagined public realm, makes Rochdale a really attractive place to live and I know that these will be the first of many new homes to be built in Rochdale.”

Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital & Centric said: “Many Greater Manchester towns have been hit hard by the declining high street but there’s a huge opportunity for places like Rochdale to reinvent themselves with town centre living. The council have a really ambitious vision to transform the town centre and we’re working with them to create an aspirational community with super energy efficient homes, game changing architecture and all the amenities that will attract people to town centre living.”

Designed to breathe life back into struggling town centres, the Neighbourhood concept could be rolled out by Capital & Centric across the UK. The aims of the concept are to reinvent suburban living, designing homes and communities that suit how people live today, using modern methods of construction and with open-plan, design-led homes that maximise the use of space.

Adam went on to say: “Neighbourhood is our way of bridging the gap between urban and suburban living. An antidote to poor quality, out-dated and uninspiring housing types, it recognises that people want to live in communities not just homes. So, in Rochdale we’re planning plenty of green space, a community hub and café-bar. With easy links into Manchester and a proper mix of homes, we see it appealing just as much to young professionals as downsizers. It’ll also be pretty unique in that it’s suburban homes but all of them will be for rent.”

A planning application for Neighbourhood Rochdale is expected to be submitted early next year and site investigation works have already begun. It will be built by Willmott Dixon who recently completed the £80 million retail and leisure development nearby at Rochdale Riverside.