Oldham Council’s cabinet is due to approve ambitious plans to boost and improve housing across the borough.
Our Housing Delivery Strategy sets out how we will be leading the way to get up to 3,000 much-needed new homes built on more than 20 council-owned sites across the borough.
With a focus on unlocking key brownfield sites, they include almost 140 new homes in Derker and 150 new homes around the former Oldham Mumps railway station.
Other sites earmarked for development include the former Kaskenmoor School where 150 homes could be built, 112 homes in Limehurst Village and 150 homes at the former South Chadderton School.
We will also support delivery of up to 2,000 new homes in the town centre including homes at the Civic Centre, the former Magistrates’ Court and the former Oldham Leisure Centre site.
Cllr Hannah Roberts, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “Oldham needs many more quality, modern, affordable homes and as a council we are investing in making this happen.
“We will provide a diverse housing offer that meets the needs of people at different times in their lives and we will champion affordable homes that are carbon efficient to support the environment and increased costs of living.
“Too many people live in poor quality housing and this has a knock-on effect on their health and prospects. We’ve achieved a lot in recent years including the delivery of 19 five-bedroom eco-friendly homes at Primrose Bank and a 20-apartment purpose-built supported housing scheme at Holly Bank, Limehurst Village.
“Oldham Council will do everything in our power to give people the homes they need so they have the best possible chance to get on in life.”
Some of the first projects to get underway will be in Derker and land off Southlink, Oldham Mumps.
Cabinet is asked to approve the disposal of three plots of vacant land in Derker. The sites will be developed by Hive Homes who will build 134 affordable and market sales homes. 44 affordable homes will be constructed to carbon neutral standards and 90 market sale homes will be built using low carbon standards. The whole development will be gas free.
At Southlink, cabinet is asked to dispose of the site around the former Oldham Mumps railway station to a delivery partner so that new homes can be built there.
The site could be suitable for a mix of up to 150 new houses and low-rise apartments, including affordable homes which will be let to those in housing need on the Housing Register.
Oldham Council has also identified a number of small sites with capacity to build two to 20 homes across the borough in council ownership.
The sites at Lancaster House, Royton; Dew Way, Coldhurst; Flint Street, Derker; James Street, Failsworth; Wellington Street, Chadderton; Estate Street, Hathershaw; and Farm Road, Limehurst, have been cleared and are ready for development.
We plan to build up to 43 wheelchair or accessible and adaptable homes across these seven brownfield sites. The homes will be a mix of two and three-bedroom bungalows and three and four-bedroom houses and will be either low or zero carbon.
The project would be funded with Homes England Grant and resources from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) which would be repaid over time via the rents received.
The homes will be owned by the council and let at an affordable rent through the Housing Register to households with a disabled person.
This type of accommodation is in high demand but in very short supply and unlikely to be provided by other housing developers due to the additional costs involved in constructing level access homes.
The project will also bring cost savings to the council through a reduction in demand for adaptations to existing housing and for health and social care services, together with improvements in health, wellbeing and quality of life for disabled people and their families.
Cllr Roberts added: “We are proud to be transforming brownfield sites across the borough to give people the much-needed homes they need, whatever their personal circumstances.
“In doing so we can safeguard the green belt from unnecessary development and breathe new life into vacant and disused sites.
“We look forward to delivering these homes alongside our partners and welcoming people into their new homes soon.”