Rochdale rejects Lower Falinge demolition

Flipping its position on the project, the council has opted to refuse Rochdale Boroughwide Housing’s application to knock down six unsafe apartment blocks.

The Quinton, Vaynor, Ullesthorp, Ollierton, Newstead, and Romsey buildings were built in the 1970s. RBH has maintained that they are not suitable to be occupied and are at the end of their life.

Rochdale Council had initially greenlit the razing of the 126 flats before it was forced to reconsider after a successful judicial review instigated by two nearby residents. The winning argument was that the council had not provided adequate reasoning to justify the omission of an Environmental Impact Assessment in the demolition application.

EIA are required for projects of more than 150 homes.

The residents’ lawyer, Cornerstone Barristers, had argued that the demolition application could not be viewed in isolation but rather in the context of the wider regeneration plan that calls for more than 400 homes to be destroyed and later replaced with more energy-efficient new builds.

Rochdale Council has subsequently agreed, listing the absence of a EIA screening opinion as the sole reason for rejecting the application.

Hannah Fleming, director of regeneration and development at RBH, said the housing association was disappointed in the council’s decision.

“We have fully complied with all information requests from the council’s planning department throughout this process, and will be meeting with the council as soon as possible to discuss next steps,” she said.

“We have been jointly working with Rochdale Council on the regeneration of Lower Falinge for several years, and our ambition remains – to continue to work together to build much-needed new warm, safe, family homes in Lower Falinge.”

To review the application for prior approval for the demolition, search reference 25/00292/DEM on Rochdale Council’s planning portal.