Next Failsworth site inches forward
As local opposition mounts to a 68-home Redwaters Estates scheme, another party proposing up to 180 homes close to Woodhouses village can submit plans without needing an environmental impact statement.
Pegasus Group is working with applicant North Lumb Farm on the proposal, for 20.5 acres of “predominantly undeveloped grassland” within a larger parcel of open land, between the south-east of Failsworth’s urban core and the settlement of Woodhouses.
The site is west of Failsworth Road and north of Medlock Road. A screening opinion request was submitted in early June signalling intent for 150 to 180 dwellings. The officer report sets out how the site is within the Green Belt on Oldham’s joint core strategy and development management development plan, dating back to November 2011.
Woodhouses Cricket Club is further along Medlock Road, with Brookdale Golf Club to the south of that highway.
As identified in that officer report, this is not the only site coming forward in the area, which neighbours the Daisy Nook country park.
Plans from Redwaters Estates for 68 affordable homes – also west of Failsworth Road, to the south of housing on Argyll Park Road and across Lords Brook from the other proposal – are already in the system.
This site runs up against the outer edge of the Failsworth settlement boundary as it stands, with housing planned for the northern part and open space towards the brook.
Redwaters’ plans are for housing abutting the homes on Argyll Park Road, Failsworth. Credit: planning documents
With advisor Emery Planning quoting liberally from council announcements around tackling its housing issues, the application team sets out how the project, once consented, would be placed with a registered housing provider.
However, the scheme has met with stiff opposition locally, with more than 600 comments registered on Oldham Council’s planning portal and an online petition passing 1,000 signatures towards the end of last week.
Woodhouses might be Oldham’s most contentious area of development. As reported by Place last year, Jones Homes proposed a 41-home project that was deferred in January, before squeaking through at April’s meeting after several recounts and a casting vote being required.
Although detailed plans are yet to be submitted, documents relating to the North Lumb Farm EIA request can be viewed on Oldham’s planning portal, with the reference EIAP/356376/26.
The Redwaters plan, for which plans were validated in March, can be seen using the reference FUL/355686/26.
What’s the point of Places For Everyone if developers are submitting applications on Greenbelt land – surely if permission is granted on these two plots then all of Greater Manchester’s greenbelt is up for grabs?
By Anonymous
@ 11.43am Places for Everyone was agreed under previous government, and because GM now has a spatial plan it does shield participating local authorities from the New NPPF (unlike Stockport), but I think it’s only for a set period. So yes, this is maybe jumping the gun, but as that period expires if your local authority doesn’t have a 5 year supply of land you get opened up to speculative development. I believe Bolton, Bury and Stockport are in that position currently.
By Rich X
Developers have to a ROCE of 20+ plus, it’s easy on greenfield sites not so easy on brownfield. But it should be banned
By Anon
With birth rates falling below replacement levels we should need less houses !
The ONLY reason we have a housing shortage is because we have had mass immigration of over 5 million people over the last few years.
By Mr M Smith
It is with great concern that the area round Woodhouse’s and Failsworth is lousing so much green space for the future of the younger generation and the wildlife of greater Manchester, also the infrastructure of the area cannot sustain so many more people and vehicles to the area.
By Mr John Moore
It doesn’t matter how many objections go in they will still get built sooner or later
By Steven fitton
Make Failsworth worth it. Keep it as green as possible.
By Anonymous
What really are ‘ affordable homes’?
Surely they are homes that can be affordable to people who can afford them? What does that really mean?
This wording makes little sense!
By Steve Quilter.
Affordable housing is a government term. It refers to homes that are discounted from the market price, usually around 20%. Hope this helps.
By Julia Hatmaker
Yet another scheme where we the people do not matter time for a sit down dirty protest.
By Peter
We need social housing im hoping being on the housing list and lived Failsworth all my life that they get offered to Failsworth residents
By Anonymous
This is the wrong kind of development for this area. Its to much for the village of Woodhouse’s and the surrounding areas.
Increase of traffic.
More strain on the NHS.
It will impact wrongly on the environment.
To much overpopulation of the area.
This development must not go ahead.
By Ian Briggs