Yahoo News 'Dozens of new homes and new café': Everything due to be decided by the planning committee this week
A historic farm house could be transformed into a huge new housing development, if plans are approved.
The planning committee is set to meet this week in Rochdale to decide on a number of significant applications put before the council. One of which is the plan to build 57 new homes on the site of Silver Hill Farmhouse next to Kingsway Business Park.
As part of the plans, the Grade II listed buildings would be transformed into large four bedroom and five bedroom homes - with the rest of the site being levelled to make way for the other 53 homes.
Two other applications to be discussed have already been refused by the planning team. The Department for Work and Pensions distribution centre redevelopment plan in Heywood was refused for its poor design and scale back in December 2023 - now the applicant is appealing the decision.
The committee has been told they should rescind one of their reasonings for refusal due to a lack of evidence. The other application relates to a new café and farm shop for Bank Top Farm in Littleborough.
This plan was refused by officers due to the harm it could cause to green belt land, but the applicants resubmitted the plans which will now be discussed by the committee on May 23 in Number One Riverside building.
Details on each application due to be discussed…
Residential homes to replace a historic building
The Grade II Listed building, Silver Hill Farmhouse, could be partly demolished and refurbished as part of a 57-home development.
The works would see outbuildings on the 2.28 acre plot demolished and the old farmhouse restored back to being a five-bedroom property. Additionally, the barn would be converted into a four bedroom home and two other four bedroom homes would be built on the farm site.
The other 53 homes would be erected on the vacant field adjacent to Silver Hill Farmhouse, which comprises Plot W of Kingsway Business Park.
The new homes would be a mix of two, three and four-bedroom detached, semi-detached and terraced homes all with two parking spaces.
The restoration works to the farmhouse and the other buildings primed for conversions incorporate both internal and external changes. The demolition work relates to a cluster of outbuildings to the northeast of the farmhouse which are later, more modern, additions.
A new vehicular access would be created off Broad Lane with two pedestrian crossings planned.
A total of 31 objections have been raised in relation to this application in relation to the access from Broad Lane, which locals feel would not be able to deal with the additional traffic burden. Lack of visibility; ecological damage; traffic congestion; flooding concerns; and loss of privacy due to overlooking were also mentioned in the objection letters.
This proposal, put forward by David Wilson Homes North West and Rexel Property Group has been recommended for approval by planning officers. If approved, it would come with contributions in the way of a section 106 agreement for a £94,657.25 sport contribution towards Balderstone Park Rugby football project and £36,300.00 towards provision of an off-site habitat creation at Stanney Brook Corridor or within Kingsway Business Park.
Distribution centre redevelopment poised for Heywood
The current home of the Department of Work and Pensions’ DCS Distribution Centre could still be flattened and redeveloped - despite the planning committee refusing it back in December.
After the planning committee refused the original plans due to its scale and poor design, developer Trammell Crow Co Logistics (Heywood) Ltd has appealed the decision. Another reason for the refusal by the planning committee was it would have ‘detrimental and unacceptable impacts on the noise environment’.
However, the committee is due to meet on this issue with the recommendation to remove the ‘impact on noise and environment’ reference due to there being no evidence of this.
If the appeal from the developer is successful, all the buildings would be demolished, the site would be cleared and three new buildings for storage and distribution (use class B8) would be erected.
A planning report read: “As stated, the applicant has served formal notice of their intention to appeal the council’s decision. The council will be required to produce evidence to support the reason for refusal or otherwise be found to have behaved unreasonably, resulting in an award of costs in favour of the applicant.
“In relation to the impact of the development, the council’s environmental health officer (EHO) has reviewed all of the relevant information submitted by both the applicant and the third party objector. The advice is clear that the noise impact of the scheme can be suitably mitigated to a level that is acceptable provided that conditions are attached.
“The council is in a position where it cannot offer any evidence to support this part of the reason for refusal.”
New café and shop for Bank Top Farm
A farm in Littleborough are hoping to expand their horizons and create a farm shop and café including a community room.
The proposal relates to green belt land just south of the Bank Top Farm buildings off Hollingworth Road. Currently their farm produce is sold from a ‘farm shop trailer’ which is towed to the bottom of the farm lane on Hollingworth Road.
Applicants Mr and Mrs Davies have resubmitted their application after seeing it refused by planning officers back in August 2023.
It was thought that this new enterprise could help boost income on the farm. The application has been met with 123 letters of support from locals, one letter of objection and one neutral representation.
The application was called-in by Coun Tom Besford and the chair of the planning committee Coun Ahmed also requested that the application should be heard by the committee. Planning officers have recommended refusal of the application because ‘the identified harm (to the green belt) is not outweighed by the benefits of any very special circumstances’.
Parcel of land could become new housing site
A small piece of land within Falinge Fold, in the Healey area, could become home to four new houses.
The site, off Falinge Road, is located behind a cluster of residential homes and there is an outline application for four new homes. Applicant, Mr Amir Khan, wants to build two pairs of semi-detached houses there which would be accessed by a private road that will go between house numbers 16 and 32 on Falinge Fold.
This application received 20 objections from locals. These objections cited over development, increase in traffic and that it could impact on the area’s heritage and conversation.
This is an outline application, which used to gain an understanding as to whether the nature of a development is acceptable. Approval for full planning permission with further detail on designs would need to be gained before any building work could start.
Conversion of chicken shed and stables into homes
The Stock Nook House Farm in Heywood could soon see its barns and outbuildings transformed into new homes.
The Doctor Fold Lane site would see the two disused barns and outbuildings converted into three terraced homes and one detached house, all with three bedrooms. Applicant Kathryn Greenhalgh has stated in her proposal that the buildings that would be transformed were formerly used as stables and a chicken shed.
Parking provision for six cars, for the terraced homes, and individual parking for the detached home are all included in the plans.
Planning officers have recommended that the plans are approved by the committee, despite 26 letters of objection being submitted. These objections relate to concerns over loss of green space, increased traffic, increased noise, litter and pollution, detrimental to the character of the area, impacts to wildlife and light pollution.
