Taylor Wimpey rolls on in Littleborough
The housebuilder’s plans for 199 homes off Smithy Bridge Road have now been lodged with Rochdale Council.
Taylor Wimpey’s submission comes as the local authority opens its own consultation on a draft Littleborough masterplan and supplementary planning document.
Taylor Wimpey homes
In July, Place North West reported that Taylor Wimpey’s planning consultant Turley had lodged a screening report as part of the pre-planning process. The firm is also working with Pegasus on the design of the scheme.
The 35-acre site sits west of Smithy Bridge Road, a key route between the A58 Halifax Road and the popular Hollingworth Lake, close to Smithy Bridge railway station. The site is included as a draft allocation in Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone plan.
Plans include 112 three-bedroom homes and 67 four-bedroom homes, along with eight two-bedroom homes and 12 five-bedroom. The application also covers the construction of the first phase of a link road between Smithy Bridge Road and Albert Royds Street.
Brigid Edwards, senior strategic land and planning manager at Taylor Wimpey, said: “There is a growing need for high-quality family homes all over the country, with Rochdale seeing a particular demand for this type of housing.
“We feel our proposals, if approved, will make a valuable contribution to both national and local housing need – providing new homes,” Edwards said.
The application has been lodged on behalf of Taylor Wimpey, the trustees of the Wood Trust, and David Antony Buckley. Its reference number is 22/01364/FUL.
Pending consent, the housebuilder expects to get on site in mid-2024, with the first houses occupied in 2025 and the scheme built out by the end of 2028.
Rochdale Council’s Littleborough plans
As for the Littleborough consultation, now available to view online, Cllr John Blundell, cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said: “We have set out several key aims to improve the area, to make connectivity better and to support people with options for living and working.
“We now hope that residents will play a part in how we progress these plans by giving the council their valued opinion so we can move forward to the satisfaction of everyone.”
The masterplan also aims to make Littleborough more attractive by creating an improved railway station gateway, with new tree planting and improved provision for cycling.
The consultation is running until 7 December.
The local infrastructure cannot take any more houses unless schools, surgeries etc are built first! It’s getting silly that all green spaces are being used up in areas where services are already so stretched!
By Jean Briggs
Councilor Blundell and Taylor Wimpey need to take note of the 609 objections posted back in 2019 while infrastructure in the Borough continues to worsen and increased decent through social media from residents vent their frustrations but hey money is on the take for the council the absent landowner (NZ) and Taylor Wimpey. I personally will loose an allotmwnt that we have enjoyed for 20 years.
By Bordering resident Nick Corbett
You are not considering the affect all these houses will have on the infastructure.
You are not planning sensibly for the future. Why the big rush to cover anything green in concrete.
By Richard Simpson
Any new homes built in the area must surely be alongside local infrastructure proposals. Dentist, doctors and school places are already stretched to and beyond the limit locally.
The roads locally are already gridlocked. Are there any transportation plans included?
By Paul Phillips
Terrible idea, 200 homes with a partly constructed road! It will only cause more traffic jams in and out of Littleborough with no full relief road in sight for the years of mayhem to come.
By Anonymous
Don’t the council think it should build a senior school first, as it is rumoured that the new one in Littleborough has been put on hold.
Why can’t the road to Albert Royds St be included on this planning, with the only access to be via Smithy Bridge Road, which any one with sense can see it cannot cope with that size of influx of cars.
All the local Doctors, Dentist are working at capacity.
Not one house for social housing.
By David Rawlinson
The infrastruture in this area cannot support any further large developments. we have gridlocked roads,over full schools and health facilities. Public transport is available but under used due to lengthy delays and missing services. Everything that makes this area a desirable place to live is being built on, so less green space for all to enjoy.
By Anonymous