Oldham sets out resi land sales strategy
Oldham Council has identified surplus land which it plans to sell to house builders to enable at least 1,000 homes to be built in the next five years.
A 78-page report due to go to Cabinet on Monday 16 December sets out a detailed housing strategy to encourage building while limiting damage to the private market.
The sites include 34 acres on former council estates now managed by registered providers, capable of delivering 435 homes. There is another 30 acres on former school sites capable of taking 392 units. Land at the Lancaster Club is also marked out for sale to support building a further 192 homes. There are smaller sites across the borough also set for sale if the plans are approved.
The Residential Development Framework sets out how the Council proposes to work with investors, developers and partners to not just build more homes but also offer a wider choice of housing in the borough, including higher value dwellings.
The wide-ranging document examines all aspects of housing in the borough, from encouraging a high quality private rented sector through to the design of properties so they can be adapted and improved in years to come.
Another proposal is the setting up of a Housebuilders Forum to work with former, current and future investors and developers who want to build new homes in the area. This will complement the authority's Affordable Homes Steering Group which meets regularly with registered providers.
Cllr Shoab Akhtar, Cabinet member for town centres and business, said: "In the past Oldham has been very good at meeting people's housing needs but less proactive about meeting their aspirations. We need to be a town where people choose to live and this framework sets out a range of measures to stimulate the market for aspirational housing at all price levels."
