PLANNING | Unanimous approval for Northern Roots
Also in luck at Oldham Council’s planning meeting: Aldi’s previously rejected proposals for a store in Chadderton.
Northern Roots
The first chunk of the large 130-acre Northern Roots project now has planning approval.
The signed-off hybrid application focus on 66 acres in Snipe Clough. Located on Green Belt, the project would see the land transformed into an eco-park and urban farm.
Designed by JDDK Architects and Planit-IE, the application was submitted by planning consultant Arup.
Oldham Council has now greenlit full permission for:
- a 7,750 sq ft visitor centre with meeting pods, multi-use spaces, a cafe and a shop. There would be an associated amphitheatre for events,
- 8,700 sq ft learning centre
- 1,000 sq ft oval-shaped events centre, with meeting room pods totalling 409 sq ft opening out onto woodland areas
- 3,000 sq ft forestry depot
- 93,000 sq ft solar array
- car parking areas and relocation of two of the site’s four football pitches
Outline permission has been granted for allotments and a swimming pool.
The application now sits in limbo for 21 days, during which the secretary of state can decide to call it in for further examination.
Northern Roots’ planning reference number with Oldham Council is FUL/348898/22
Learn more about Northern Roots
Reworked Aldi plans were met with approval in Oldham. Credit: Vector Design Concepts
Chadderton Aldi
Aldi emerged victorious from its second go at getting plans approved for a 19,400 sq ft store off Foxdenton Lane in Chadderton’s Broadway Green logistics park. An earlier version of the application had been refused in February against office recommendation.
However, the committee changed its tune when considering a reworked version at the planning meeting on Tuesday. Changes included revising the layout to move loading bays away from other properties, additional landscaping, and more considerate lighting.
The approved plans also include outline permission for a flexible-use commercial building of no more than 3,230 sq ft.
Under the proposal, Aldi will install 124 parking spaces on the site, including four electric vehicle charge points.
Avison Young is the planning consultant for the project, which is designed by The Harris Partnership.
The application’s reference number with Oldham Council is OUT/349440/22.
A real asset to Oldham.
By SW
At the Planning Committee meeting in September. when the Northern Roots matter was to be considered but was deferred to the October meeting, the Committee had previously voted with only 2 exceptions to REFUSE a planning application for a modest indoor riding school at a licenced busy riding school in Chadderton in greenbelt which was recommended for approval by the planning officers. This was to allow lessons to continue in bad weather and through the winter and to provide for disabled riders. The chairman and the ward councillor and other councillors spoke against the application on greenbelt grounds and the chairman in particular said he was totally against any developments like this in the greenbelt.
Yet here we have this same committee a month later voting unanimously to approve this MASSSIVE development of several large buildings in the GREENBELT – a committee that only a month before said they were totally against any development like this in the greenbelt!
I would support the scheme but on principle I hope the Secretary of State calls it in and refuses it on the grounds that Oldham councillors are totally against any developments like this in the greenbelt.
By N. A. H.
Local news areas are full of comments from locals dismissing it but from a top down view I really hope this is a success. I hope they dont get carried away with the vanity side and put down some real good foundations.
By John Terry
I have heard about the disquiet over the totally opposite decisions of the planning committee on two applications which had basically the same criteria to be considered over their merits for approval or refusal for developments in the greenbelt. I can see that it will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for many people and it does call into question the competence, integrity and independence of the councillors involved, which is a pity as leaving aside the question of whether it is actually practical or financially sound, the Northern Roots idea does have some plus factors.
By W. C. A.