Pent-house living coming to Oldham
9th November 2006
A new eco-village featuring a tower with stylish pent-houses is being planned for Oldham town centre.
Gleeson Regeneration has submitted a detailed planning application for a new development of 192 homes on the St Mary’s site, just north of Oldham town centre.
This will increase the choice of high quality, energy-efficient homes in and around the town centre, which is a key aim of the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder and ‘Oldham Beyond’ - the Council’s vision for the borough.
The scheme is set to become a landmark in Oldham as it includes a ten-storey tower that will be located at the junction of St Mary’s Way and Egerton Street. It will include four penthouses which will enjoy superb views over Oldham and the Pennines.
The plans include 121 one, two and three-bedroom apartments - suitable for single people or families of up to five. Many of the two and three-bedroom apartments are on two-storeys.
Seventy-one three and four bedroom houses will provide ample accommodation for families and will be built behind the apartments. The new homes will be set within a high quality landscaped environment which will include a central pocket park, communal gardens and a series of Home Zones making the environment attractive and safe. The development will also include a combination of garages, on-street and underground parking.
The scheme has been designed to achieve EcoHomes ‘Excellent’ Standard. The homes will be built using environmentally friendly materials and will produce renewable energy on-site via solar panels and wind turbines – helping to keep residents’ fuel bills low.
The whole scheme has been designed to make the most of the predominantly south-facing slope and to provide gardens and communal areas that can benefit from light, heat and impressive views.
Twenty of the homes will be made available to rent through Contour Housing Association a major registered social landlord in the region. Lynn Tomlinson, Regeneration Manager for Contour, said: “Everyone involved in this project is delighted to be bringing to life what will be an innovative and inspired green housing scheme. Contour will be providing three and four bedroom homes for general rent which will be interspersed throughout the development.”
St Mary’s has been developed in partnership by Gleeson Regeneration, Oldham Council, the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder, English Partnerships and Contour Housing Association and has received positive comments from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) as an exemplar for the development of modern housing in urban areas. CABE is the Government’s advisor on architecture, urban design and public space.
Oldham Council’s Planning Committee is expected to make a decision in January with work starting on site in spring 2007. The first homes are scheduled to be completed in March 2008.
Councillor Dave Hibbert, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the Environment and Member of the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Board, said, “This is excellent news for Oldham and we are proud to be promoting such an exemplar scheme which is already receiving national recognition. The proposals have come about through a partnership between the public and private sectors to deliver a shared aspiration. The scheme will provide the residents of Oldham with a real choice of being able to live within a high quality scheme within the town centre. The generous space standards being offered by the developer will make this scheme extremely attractive to both single people and families alike.”
Alastair Graham, HMR Project Director, said, “This is an exciting development that will attract many people to live in the town centre. The new homes will be a range of sizes with some for sale and some for rent or shared ownership. Plus they are within walking distance of shops, sports and entertainment facilities, schools, colleges and University Centre Oldham.“
Additional information
The breakdown of the 121 apartments is as follows:
- 21 x 1 bedroom apartments
- 94 x 2 bedroom apartments
- 6 x 3 bedroom apartments
They range in size from 517 sq ft for the smallest 1 bed apartment up to 1087 sq ft for the 3 bed roomed apartment.
Of the seventy-one houses to be built, 41 will be three-bedroomed and 30 will be four-bedroomed. They will range in size from 1066 to 1389 sq ft.
Images: Artist's impressions of how the St Mary's tower and home zone could look