Kellen forges ahead in contentious Oldham allocation
The housebuilder has submitted plans for 248 properties on 18 acres off Bullcote Lane within the 1,450-home Broadbent Moss/Beal Valley masterplan zone.
Kellen Homes is working in partnership with Grasscroft Homes and Property and private landowners to bring the plans forward and is seeking to deliver 168 of the total on affordable tenures. The remaining 80 would be available on the open market.
The site is located north of Oldham town centre and east of Royton and sits west of the Metrolink line that dissects the 170-acre Broadbent Moss/Beal Valley allocation.
AshtonHale is advising Kellen on planning and E*Scape is leading on design.
To learn more, search for reference number FUL/355603/26 on Oldham Council’s planning portal.
As well as 1,450 homes, the allocation is earmarked for 225,000 sq ft of employment space.
Last summer Casey, Grasscroft Property, Barratt Redrow, Kellen Homes, and Wain Homes launched a consultation on their plans for the area, which feature a Metrolink stop on the existing line at Cop Road.
In late 2025, a motion tabled by Oldham’s Conservatives was approved, meaning that all strategic allocations in the borough set out in the Places for Everyone joint spatial plan for Greater Manchester would require supplementary planning documents, a decision that could create delays in the delivery of the projects.
Speaking at the time, Leader Cllr Arooj Shah said: “It’s really regrettable how far some people will go to try to stop development when we know residents need homes,” she said.
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If the logic for giving up greenbelt for these homes is that they will be beside a new Metrolink stop there are still drives at every house.
By Anonymous
Depressing suburban scheme right next to a proposed Metrolink stop! Density and housing mix has to be changed to reflect that. We should be achieving densities of at least 70 dwellings per hectare in these areas – that’s what PfE aims for!
By Anonymous
Anonymous @8:48 The Netherlands has reasonably high car ownership, as you’d expect for an affluent country, but they get more choices on using them everyday. When they build these houses the other thing we should expect is not just a tram, but also a safe walking and cycling route to school.
By Rich X
Is this what Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Oldham Council spent the best part of 10 years and millions of pounds as part of the production of Places for Everyone, to enable?! Where is the testing of the Local Centre that was promised as part of the EiP? It certainly isn’t in the Masterplan and “Spatial Design Code”. Honestly, it only just achieves 50dph on one small parcel. Makes a mockery of the whole process and completely undermines the whole PfE approach. Mind you, looking at the developer and his past history, what do you expect? Does Greater Manchester even know what a good Strategic Allocation should look like? Especially one with a Metrolink stop as part of it? This wouldn’t past the mustard test in Cambridge (which doesn’t have a tram), so why is it acceptable in Greater Manchester?
By Anonymous
Why not include a layout in the article?
As others have said, ridiculously low density, with no supporting facilities, in an area thats meant ot have a new tram stop and local centre – where are they??
By Anonymous
The planning application reference is included in the article, which will allow you to find any additional information you might want – such as a layout.
By Julia Hatmaker
The recent motion by councillors to require supplementary planning documents for all PfE allocations will possibly allow for a new approach from a differently constituted council after this May. This area, Beal Valley / Broadbent Moss, is one of the least suitable in Oldham for developments of this size. Forget the Metrolink, many people are unwilling and even frightened of using it at some times of the day. Most people will still travel by car and this area is one of the worst areas in Oldham for traffic flow and accessibility. The proposed new road will dump huge volumes of traffic onto Ripponden Road, from whence it will have to make it’s way back through Oldham centre to get to the motorways, Manchester etc. Not to mention the other drawbacks for the whole site such as the fact this is moss land, the water table, flooding risks both on the site and downstream in Shaw, Milnrow and Rochdale centre from an overloaded River Beal, lack of sewerage capacity etc. Perhaps there will be a sensible re-think. If green belt needs to be used at least use that which is better located and more suitable.
By A. R.