Rochdale success for Renaker-owned housebuilder

Kellen Homes’ application to build 311 homes on the former Rex Mill site has been approved by the council.

Set on 31 acres off Don Street in Middleton and bisected by the River Irk, the site is a mix of greenfield and brownfield and as such been allocated up to £3.68m from the Greater Manchester Brownfield Housing Fund for remediation.

Of the 311 planned homes, 45 would be designated affordable – including four that would be created as adaptable homes for those with disabilities. The affordable homes would range from having two to four bedrooms.

Sigma PRS will manage the 99 build-to-rent properties in the project, including 45 two-bedroom homes and 54 three-bedroom ones.

Kellen Homes will also build 167 homes for open market sale. These break down to 20 two-bed dwellings, 131 three-bed houses, and 16 four-bed ones.

Plans also include a more than 4,000 sq ft playground, a fitness trail, a walking route and assorted other green spaces.

Originally, Kellen Homes had wanted to build 330 homes on the site. But after consulting with Rochdale Council planning officers and the Middleton Township Planning Panel, the developer opted to reduce the project to the current 311-home scale.

Avison Young is the planner for the scheme, which was designed by Baldwin Design Consultancy.

The application reference number for the project with Rochdale Council is 21/00744/FUL.

Warrington-based Kellen Homes was founded in 2020 by Renaker managing director Daren Whittaker and former Countryside Properties chief executive Ian Kelley. The housebuilder has been busy this past year, submitting a planning application for 211 homes in Bury and securing permission for 168 homes in Salford.