Applications being discussed at this week's planning committee

A summary of what's being discussed and decided at the Rochdale Borough Council planning committee this week.

The planning committee is set to meet this week to decide on a number of applications put before the council. Two of the applications to be discussed have already been refused by the planning team. The Department for Work and Pension's distribution centre redevelopment plan in Heywood was refused for its poor design and scale back in December 2023 – now the applicant is appealing the decision. 

The committee has been told they should rescind one of their reasonings for refusal due to a lack of evidence.

The other re-application relates to a new cafe and farm shop for Bank Top Farm in Littleborough. This plan was refused by officers due to the harm it could cause to green belt land, but the applicants resubmitted the plans which will now be discussed by the committee on 23 May at Number One Riverside.

New cafe and shop for Bank Top Farm

A farm in Littleborough are hoping to expand their horizons and create a farm shop and cafe including a community room.

The proposal relates to green belt land just south of the Bank Top Farm buildings off Hollingworth Road. Currently their farm produce is sold from a ‘farm shop trailer’ which is towed to the bottom of the farm lane on Hollingworth Road.

Applicants Mr and Mrs Davies have resubmitted their application after seeing it refused by planning officers back in August 2023. 

It was thought that this new enterprise could help boost income on the farm. The application has been met with 123 letters of support from locals, one letter of objection and one neutral representation.

The application was called-in by Councillor Tom Besford and the chair of the planning committee Councillor Ahmed also requested that the application should be heard by the committee.

Planning officers have recommended refusal of the application because ‘the identified harm (to the green belt) is not outweighed by the benefits of any very special circumstances’.

 

 

Distribution centre redevelopment poised for Heywood

The current home of the Department of Work and Pensions’ DCS Distribution Centre could still be flattened and redeveloped – despite the planning committee refusing it back in December.

After the planning committee refused the original plans due to its scale and poor design, developer Trammell Crow Co Logistics (Heywood) Ltd has appealed the decision. Another reason for the refusal by the planning committee was it would have ‘detrimental and unacceptable impacts on the noise environment’.

However, the committee is due to meet on this issue with the recommendation to remove the ‘impact on noise and environment’ reference due to there being no evidence of this.

If the appeal from the developer is successful, all the buildings would be demolished, the site would be cleared and three new buildings for storage and distribution (use class B8) would be erected.

A planning report read: “As stated, the applicant has served formal notice of their intention to appeal the council’s decision. The council will be required to produce evidence to support the reason for refusal or otherwise be found to have behaved unreasonably, resulting in an award of costs in favour of the applicant.

“In relation to the impact of the development, the council’s environmental health officer (EHO) has reviewed all of the relevant information submitted by both the applicant and the third party objector. The advice is clear that the noise impact of the scheme can be suitably mitigated to a level that is acceptable provided that conditions are attached.

“The council is in a position where it cannot offer any evidence to support this part of the reason for refusal.”

Parcel of land could become new housing site

A small piece of land within Falinge Fold, in Shawclough, could become home to four new houses.

The site, off Falinge Road, is located behind a cluster of residential homes and there is an outline application for four new homes. Applicant, Mr Amir Khan, wants to build two pairs of semi-detached houses there which would be accessed by a private road that will go between house numbers 16 and 32 on Falinge Fold.

This application received 20 objections from locals. These objections cited over development, increase in traffic and that it could impact on the area’s heritage and conversation. 

This is an outline application, which used to gain an understanding as to whether the nature of a development is acceptable. Approval for full planning permission with further detail on designs would need to be gained before any building work could start. 

Conversion of chicken shed and stables into homes

The Stock Nook House Farm in Heywood could soon see its barns and outbuildings transformed into new homes.

The Doctor Fold Lane site would see the two disused barns and outbuildings converted into three terraced homes and one detached house, all with three bedrooms. Applicant Kathryn Greenhalgh has stated in her proposal that the buildings that would be transformed were formerly used as stables and a chicken shed. 

Parking provision for six cars, for the terraced homes, and individual parking for the detached home are all included in the plans. 

Planning officers have recommended that the plans are approved by the committee, despite 26 letters of objection being submitted. These objections relate to concerns over loss of green space, increased traffic, increased noise, litter and pollution, detrimental to the character of the area, impacts to wildlife and light pollution.

George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporter