Plans in Greater Manchester town would see old Poundworld shop turned into high street flats

A total of 26 new flats could be coming to the Rochdale high street in the place of the old Poundworld. The proposal put forward by Cassel & Fletcher would see the vacant retail unit transformed into a three floor apartment complex. The mixture of 1-bed flats and studios will be laid out over the ground, first and second floors with a coffee shop ‘likely’ to come into the retail unit, planning documents say.

Access to the residential accommodation will come via The Banks and Bike storage for 24 bikes will be within the foyer using vertical bike racks. The Yorkshire Street site was formerly two separate buildings that have been merged to form one single unit. The building spans the full length of The Banks, and as a result of the steep change in levels the Yorkshire Street elevation is two storeys in height whereas the Baillie Street elevation is four storeys in height.

The site was chosen as an ideal location due to it being in the town centre of Rochdale, benefitting from the array of shops, amenities, services, facilities, and employment opportunities that this brings. The site is also very accessible by public transport, being only 210m from the Rochdale metrolink tram stop which provides frequent services to East Didsbury via Manchester city centre.

If plans are approved, the building structure itself would remain largely unchanged, with a roof extension planned in order to increase the height of the building and alter the roof from a flat roof design to a pitched one. The planning statement went on to say that new shop fronts and entrances will be created at the ground floor level and basement level, and the existing signage and modern shop front will be removed.