Rochdale homes tipped for approval

Willmott Dixon, which stepped in on the former Capital&Centric scheme in summer, is lining up 223 homes at the Central Retail Park site.

Rochdale’s planning and licensing committee meets on 22 December to discuss the application, which seeks to tackle one of the local authority’s highest profile sites.

Plan Red and architect Leach Rhodes Walker are working on the project. Walker Sime is providing QS and project management support.

C&C’s involvement, offering up a 200-home scheme with shedkm, had been heavily promoted, but the developer stepped away from the project in June. Co-founder Tim Heatley said:

“Willmott Dixon, the council’s pre-procured contractor for the project, wanted to progress the neighbourhood in a way that didn’t hold true to our vision. As such, they’re going to take the site forward and we wish them and Rochdale Council the best of luck.” 

On the table now are 223 dwellings: 81 houses and a five/six-storey building with 142 apartments and ground floor commercial space.

Eighty nine of the apartments are one-bedroom and the remainder two-bedroom, while three-bedroom homes account for 53 of the 81 to be delivered. There will be 18 two-bedroom homes and 10 four-bedroom homes.

The scheme will require a new access from Oldham Road. The site has been cleared, and has a net developable area just shy of six acres.

Planning officers concluded: “The proposed development is a key regeneration project which will deliver a high quality scheme within a sustainable location.

“The proposal will support the redevelopment of a brownfield site within a sustainable town centre location, which will further act to achieve the regeneration objectives of the Council and contribute to the enhancement of Rochdale town centre.” Approval is recommended.

Rochdale Council bought the site from Town Centre Securities for £13m in 2018 – its redevelopment forms part of the local authority’s Rail Corridor Strategy.

The scheme’s application number is 22/01119/FUL.