Housing association to build 14 apartments on former pub site in Smithy Bridge

Local housing association, First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) has signed a deal with development partner, Armstrong Projects Ltd to build 14 apartments on the site of the former Smithybridge pub on Bridgenorth Drive in Smithy Bridge which has stood derelict for a number of years.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing proposed apartments on the site in 2021 and prior to that, plans to transform the site into a Co-op store were submitted in 2017, but neither project came to fruition.

The £2.1m investment is part of FCHO’s development strategy to deliver 1,100 new, high quality, energy efficient homes in Oldham, Rochdale, Tameside, Kirklees, and Calderdale during 2020-2026.

The 14 one and two-bedroom apartments are designed to be highly sustainable, and will all be equipped with increased levels of insulation plus energy efficient windows, along with a low carbon, electrical heating system to provide heating and hot water.

Electric vehicle charging points are also planned to facilitate green travel.

 

 

Properties at the scheme will be for affordable rent – set at no more than 80% of market rent. They will be managed by FCHO and allocated to people on Rochdale Council’s housing register.

The project will be part funded by a £672k Homes England grant.

Construction will get underway in July and FCHO says that homes will be ready for customers to move into in winter 2024.

FCHO’s Director of Development, Joel Owen said: “Demand for affordable housing locally continues to outstrip supply and we’re pleased to be building more desperately needed, sustainable homes in the Rochdale borough, which is one of the key areas in our development strategy.

“Rejuvenating brownfield plots, as we are doing here, is also important to us. With its good location and excellent commuter links, this site is prime for bringing into residential use and enhancing the local area.

“We look forward to seeing the homes ready for our customers to move into.”

In the last three years, FCHO has delivered 74 new affordable one-bedroom apartments and two, three and four-bedroom family homes across Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale. Work is currently underway at four further sites in the borough.

In Middleton, FCHO is working with Kellen Homes to build 45 mixed-tenure two and three-bedroom houses at its Mill Vale scheme, and 16 two, three and four-bedroom family houses are underway with KMM Homes at their Oldham Road build. The final homes at FCHO’s mixed-tenure Millfields development of 30 two, three and four-bedroom houses at Boothroyden Road in the town are also due for completion next month.

In Heywood, 40 one and two-bedroom apartments for affordable rent are under construction on Rochdale Road East, in partnership with Challenger Building Services.