New homes to be built sooner, after early confirmation of two CPO sites in Oldham
4th August 2006
The Secretary of State has agreed advance confirmation of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) for two sites – one in Derker and one in Werneth – after no objections were made to CPO notices relating to these sites.
This will allow Oldham Council and the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder to develop new housing on these sites more quickly, giving more rehousing options to people affected by clearance proposals and improving the area.
The sites comprise 16 houses plus two small pieces of land on Devon Street in Werneth and the Gardener’s Rest pub on Acre Lane in Derker. They are included in proposals to build high quality affordable homes in a bid to raise the prosperity of the neighbourhoods.
Letters have been sent to the pub’s owners and remaining residents of Devon Street as well as all residents in first phase CPO areas informing them of the advance confirmation. Residents affected do not have to leave until they find new accommodation and are being offered information and support from the neighbourhood teams based on Tamworth Street in Werneth and Flint Street in Derker.
Pubmaster, which owns the Gardener’s Rest, is negotiating with Oldham Council.
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government decided to confirm the CPOs for these sites in advance of a public inquiry because residents on Devon Street and Pubmaster did not object to the CPO notices which were issued in September 2005 and because advance confirmation for these sites will allow building work to commence earlier.
These two sites are now independent compulsory purchase order areas. They are entirely separate from the rest of the first phase compulsory purchase order areas and will not need to be considered at the public inquiry, which will start on 6th February 2007.
Whether Oldham Council will be granted compulsory purchase powers to buy properties and land in the rest of the first phase CPO areas in Derker and Werneth/Freehold will be determined by the public inquiry. The advance confirmation of Gardener’s Rest pub and Devon Street sites will not prejudice the outcome of the public inquiry.
Councillor Dave Hibbert, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Regeneration, said: “This early confirmation means we can press ahead with building more new homes and people will be encouraged to see something positive happening in their area. For example, Great Places Housing Group has already started work on the building 11 properties at a site on the corner of Norfolk and Suffolk Streets in Werneth. The advance confirmation of the Devon Street CPO – which is adjacent to the Norfolk Street site - now means that an additional 12 properties can be built much sooner than originally planned.”
More than 420 people in HMR areas have voluntarily sold their properties to the Council and plans for new homes are progressing well with more than 70 homes expected to be completed at the site of the former Granville Mill in Derker by the end of the year as well as 18 homes in Coppice. Shared ownership and homes for rent alongside homes for outright purchase will be offered at all HMR developments.
Anyone who would like more information about Housing Market Renewal plans should contact the Derker Team at Flint Street on 0161 652 8873 or the Werneth/Freehold Team at 80 Tamworth Street on 0161 911 4246.
Or for information about the compulsory purchase order public inquiry, contact David Bond, Principal Development Officer on 0161 911 4159.