£90 million boost for high spec homes in Oldham and Rochdale
28 February 2008
More well-designed, eco-friendly homes are coming to Oldham and Rochdale – as well as environmental improvements and jobs - following today’s announcement of a further £90 million for the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal (HMR) Pathfinder.
Over the last four years, the Pathfinder has started building high quality homes in Derker, Werneth, Coppice, Wardleworth and Hamer in partnership with Oldham and Rochdale Councils, developers and housing associations. Housing Market Renewal has also paid for improvement and security work to 1,900 homes and bought 686 older, less popular properties to make way for modern homes that will meet today’s and future generations’ needs and aspirations.
This latest funding announcement for 2008 to 2011 means an acceleration of house-building on land that has been purchased and cleared in the early years of the project. It also offers more certainty to proposals being developed with residents to improve housing, green space and people’s quality of life in Langley, Hathershaw, Alt, Sholver, Primrose Bank, Kirkholt, Milkstone and Deeplish.
Councillor Dave Hibbert, HMR Board Member and Oldham Council Cabinet Member for the Environment and Regeneration, welcomed the news. “There is a real need for high quality housing of all sizes in Oldham and Rochdale. Residents tell us this, as does HMR research that shows people leaving parts of our boroughs to find this type of housing elsewhere. This new funding will help to provide residents with more choice - whether they want to buy, rent or part-own. It will also make our neighbourhoods more attractive and encourage other people to move here”
Councillor Mohammed Sharif, HMR Board Member and Rochdale Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration, added,
“This funding also helps to safeguard the quality of the homes that are built We have already won two national design awards for homes being built at two sites in Rochdale. We will continue to design and build homes to high, energy-efficient standards.”
Alastair Graham, Director for the Oldham Rochdale HMR Pathfinder said, “This is also great news for the local economy. It will give the developers we are working with more incentive to invest in our neighbourhoods. It also promises more jobs and training opportunities in construction and related areas of work. J21, the HMR-funded employment initiative, has already helped more than 570 Oldham and Rochdale residents to find work or training as a result of regeneration work.”
Picture: New homes emerge at Nelson Place in Rochdale