Rochdale maps out plans for up to 150 homes in central Heywood
A significant residential development is being planned on land south of the A58 that was previously occupied by the Angel Meadows estate.
Rochdale Council and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing are seeking views from the development industry on a masterplan for the Heywood scheme via a soft market testing exercise.
Two potential layouts have been crafted by Buttress Architects. One features 129 homes and the other 151.
The denser of the two options would see the existing road layout retained while the 129-home scheme would see the highway network reconfigured. Both schemes would deliver a mix of houses and apartments.
The site includes land previously occupied by RBH’s Angel Meadows flats, the plot once home to The Heywood pub, and Regent Mill, which is to be knocked down.
Rappor and CBRE are supporting Rochdale Council with the plans.
The aim of the scheme is to “create a new sustainable residential neighbourhood to support the regeneration of Heywood’s town centre, acknowledging forthcoming employment opportunities within Atom Valley and Northern Gateway”, according to tender documents.
The documents add: “This is a future vision for a significant residential offer, which must be deliverable. Rochdale’s ambition is for this strategic priority to be delivered in the short to medium term, to align with the above.”
Cllr Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Rochdale Council, said: “This soft market testing exercise is part of the wider regeneration of Heywood, as part of our masterplan. This will see us work with partners to transform brownfield sites around the town centre into new, high-quality affordable homes for local people.
“Over time, we hope to bring forward more than 200 homes close to Heywood town centre, so where we now have empty sites, which are not visually appealing, we will have new homes to help address our housing shortage and lift the whole area. We have already seen considerable regeneration within Heywood town centre and this project will continue this redevelopment and further support local families.”
