Keswick Gardens Riverside Group p Riverside Group

Work on Keswick Gardens stalled in 2019 but restarted in 2021. Credit: via Riverside Group

Restart for stalled £19m Rochdale resi

Persevering through a contractor going into administration and the need to demolish a partially built structure, Keswick Gardens is now set to complete in summer 2023 – eight years after it received planning permission.

Keswick Gardens is the brainchild of social housing provider Riverside Group. The £19m senior living development is located on three acres off Keswick Close in Langley on land that previously belonged to Rochdale Council.

Designed by Eden Building Design, the development will feature 98 affordable homes for those over the age of 55, including 10 bungalows.

Planning permission for the project was granted in 2015, with contractor Cruden Construction starting work on the site in December 2018.

Work went on for seven months, but later stalled. Cruden went into administration in July 2020.

Riverside then appointed Vistry North West to finish the project – which now required taking down all the work that had been previously done. Vistry started on site in July 2021.

Keswick Gardens sits on brownfield, which used to house three tower blocks that have been since demolished.

In addition to apartments and bungalows, the £19m extra care project will offer residents 24/7 support if they needed it, as well as a full calendar of activities to participate in.

Cllr Daniel Meredith, Rochdale Council’s cabinet member for housing, praised the project.

“This is a really innovative and visionary scheme that will provide good quality housing for scores of older people and those with care needs in our borough,” he said.

“In addition, the cash injection will boost the local economy, create new jobs and deliver a wide range of training,” he continued.

“I am passionate about providing residents with high-quality independent living opportunities, in a place of their choice, so I am really looking forward to this pioneering project being completed. It underlines our timeless cooperative values, working in partnership with others, at their very best.”

Cllr Iftikhar Ahmed, the council’s cabinet member for adult care, echoed Meredith’s praise.

“Ensuring older people and those with care needs have access to good quality housing opportunities is one of our key priorities, so I am delighted to see this superb scheme progressing to the next stage,” Ahmed said.

“This is about ensuring people have access to good quality housing, creating a range of employment opportunities, and boosting people’s mental health and wellbeing. I know this will be a really forward-looking, visionary development, showcasing the pioneering spirit of our borough at its very best.”

The application reference number for Keswick Gardens on Rochdale Council’s planning portal is 15/00869/FUL.

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Why are new developments such as this not including greener energy sources into the plan? Solar and gshp or ashp are surely the minimum requisites to generating greener energy alongside reducing energy consumption via insulation etc.

This should be government policy, but you’d hope developers would help lead the way…particularly where SoHo or extra care is involved…

By Anonymous

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