The Greater Manchester town divided over plans to create new neighbourhoods amid housing emergency

Demand for new homes in Rochdale is high – so much that the council declared a housing emergency in the borough in October after it was revealed that there are 10,000 rehousing applications and a wait of up to five years for a new home.

On the back of that, the council is looking to increase the number of homes available to residents as part of its ongoing development projects around the borough. New neighbourhoods are springing up on derelict brownfield sites, as well as on areas of green belt which are part of the Places for Everyone scheme – Greater Manchester’s plan to create new homes and jobs around the region. This is not without its problems though, as many in Rochdale fear the impact of the arrival of thousands of new homes in the towns around the borough, and the effect it will have on roads and services.

Here are some of the key developments that will change the face of Rochdale in 2024 and beyond.

Rochdale town hall

Funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has helped renovate the neo-Gothic town hall building in Rochdale at a cost of £16million. The town hall is set to fully reopen in March 2024, with a few smaller scale events being held in late January acting as a ‘soft’ opening.

Once the doors are open to the public again, the 19th century building and its new square will be used to host events and celebrations. One of the rooms called the Bright Hall – named after John Bright – was previously used as council offices and was opened up when builders removed a floor partition which was hiding many of the room’s best features such as an original window and its timber roof.

Regarded as one of the UK’s best examples of Victorian Gothic architecture, Rochdale town hall was first opened in 1871 and since then has stood as a symbol of the town’s standing in the world. It’s hoped that the the restored building will mark a new revival in Rochdale as a place where people can live and work, making use of the transport connections to Manchester city centre.

Land at Stakehill

Land at Stakehill in Middleton, off Rochdale Road, has been earmarked for the site of a new neighbourhood with up to 1,380 new homes. The developer, Redrow, claimed in the planning application that the new community will help with “increasing the supply of larger and higher value housing in the borough, ensuring developments are of a high standard of design to create attractive places which reflect local character.”

Subject to planning, the company hopes to begin work in autumn 2024 in a scheme which includes the extension of a local primary school and space for new shops in the areas. The initial phase of development would see 233 homes built consisting of two, three, four and five-bedroom properties, of which 15 per cent are designated as “affordable”.

The land is designated as green belt under the adopted Rochdale development plan, but the site is set to be released from this status under the Places for Everyone scheme. More than 140 objections to the plan have been submitted on the council’s planning portal – but Redrow hopes the site will offer “aspirational homes for young people and families” as well as “larger higher value homes and homes for the elderly” in Rochdale.

Former Akzo Nobel chemical works

North-east of Rochdale town centre sits the town of Littleborough, nestled in the Pennine countryside. The town was once the home to the former Akzo Nobel chemical works on Hollingworth Road, which is currently being turned into a new housing development.

In March 2023, permission was granted to build  up to 127 new homes on the site to help address the shortage of housing in Rochdale. However, local groups have fiercely opposed the move, claiming that the infrastructure and services in the town are not prepared to cope with an influx of arrivals. The site was bought by the Together Housing Group and Countryside Partnerships which is managing the development, and the housing scheme includes a mix of homes ranging from two to five bedrooms, with 19 being classed as ‘affordable’.

In December, the Environment Agency (EA) told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it was investigating concerns of dirty water in Rochdale Canal next to the former Akzo Nobel chemical works. The developers said they reviewed measures at the site with the local authority and EA and that “both parties were satisfied with the current management on site, and Countryside Partnerships will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that site activity is not affecting the canal or the local environment.”

The Upperbanks

A new apartment complex with 242 homes in Rochdale is due to open imminently and will see hundreds of new arrivals to the town centre. The site is located next to the Rochdale Riverside retail and leisure development in a project which has cost around £60 million.

The council, like many around Greater Manchester, is looking at derelict brownfield land as an opportunity to create good quality housing stock and attract more people to the town, a cause particularly important in Rochdale where some housing associations have struggled to deal with issues involving damp and mould in older homes.

The local authority recently struck a deal with Manchester-based firm urbanbubble which will manage the new apartments, which consist of a mix of studio, one and two-bedrooms. Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Rochdale council, said that the borough “needs a mix of different types of housing to cater for different people and lifestyles and these homes are a really important part of that wider offer.”

Station square

Plans for a new public square outside Rochdale train station were approved in July 2023, under a scheme aiming to provide a pedestrianised gateway to the town. It aims to create “pedestrian prioritised routes” and be “traffic calmed through design”, transforming the area with a multi-million pound design.

Rochdale council decided to push ahead with the plan despite losing out on £20m in ‘Levelling Up’ cash earlier in the year. The transformation includes street art and tree planting, with the ability to host events in the area. The railway station sits at the heart of the council’s Rail Corridor Strategy – aimed at using public transport to drive regeneration and create new homes and businesses in the borough.

The A671

Work is being planned on the A671 including improved bus stops, and a new segregated cycle track with pedestrian and cycle crossing points. It includes a “quiet route” for cyclists, to create a space with light traffic at low speeds which riders can share with cars. The improvements form part of a travel corridor through Rochdale, Royton, Oldham and Ashton town centres on the A671 and A627 used by the 409 bus service.

Traffic in Rochdale town centre can be hectic at times, and the work is hoped to reduce the need for some people to use their cars to travel between the Greater Manchester towns. While the work is ongoing, a period of “short-term disruption” will impact drivers using the route.