Vistry latest to take on Rochdale AzkoNobel revamp
The developer wants to build 169 homes on the 19-acre site following failed attempts to redevelop the plot from Bellway, Woodford Group and Countryside since the chemical processing plant closed in 2004.
Homes England, which bought the site for £10m 2017, has selected Vistry Partnerships to deliver the long-awaited redevelopment of the Littleborough plot.
The former AzkoNobel site is located off Hollingworth Road next to the Rochdale Canal. The factory buildings were demolished in 2008.
However, plans to deliver housing on the site have failed to materialise in the intervening years.
In 2005, housebuilder Bellway Homes withdrew its plans to develop 280 homes on the site amid contamination fears.
Woodford Group proposed 164 homes in 2006 but that scheme did not progress either.
In 2015, Countryside Properties won approval for a 174-home development, but that project also hit the buffers, prompting Homes England to step in.
Vistry’s proposals for the site include a mix of two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom homes. There will be a 15% affordable provision.
Barton Willmore is the planning consultant for the scheme and the architect is Leeds-based Watson Batty.
Was an intern with Akzo over 30 years ago on that site – great location overlooks the Pennines, down the road is the Calder Valley Line between Manchester and Leeds, up the road is Hollingworth Lake and Country Park.
By Rich X
Upgrade the infrastructure !
Doctors surgeries,schools,roads are already over capacity
By Andrew Greenwood
A great opportunity to bring a brownfield site back into use as housing. Far too many new schemes being granted planning on greenfield land. No doubt there will be hefty S106 contributions to improve local infrastructure.
By Rich H
its not a stand alone brownfield site, this is slap bang in the middle of greenbelt, which will be built on if this is first.
By Anonymous
Build it and they will come. A much needed brownfield site in a delightful place.
By Brett Bostock
We need to get over this green belt fixation in locations like this. Green belt was, in part, designed to stop conurbations merging, and there basically no chance Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire will ever merge for obvious reasons. More fundamentally, that site is close to transit to both Manchester and West Yorkshire, the station has got investment to increase its platform length and capacity, Rochdale strategically sees its transpennine rail corridor as one of its key regeneration tools, this is exactly where green belt should used for development.
By Rich X