Our plans for 88 new homes at West Vale flagship development have been approved

Fantastic news! Our plans to build 88 new affordable homes on the site of two iconic tower blocks in Coldhurst have been approved by Oldham Council.

The green light is another step forward for our ambitious £12m investment in new homes as part of the West Vale project that will transform the area where Crossbank House and Summervale House currently stand.

We are demolishing the two towerblocks and in their place building 88 high quality, new homes to help meet local housing need. Twenty six houses are planned – a mix of two, three and four-bedroom family homes – along with 62 apartments, which will have one or two bedrooms.

Plans also include landscaping across the site, with houses benefitting from well-sized gardens; driveway car parking for all the houses and for 15% of the apartments; and there will be cycle parking for all homes at the development. A recreational space located at Broome Street with an equipped play area is also planned, providing a much need facility for younger children in the area.

West Vale will be a gateway to Oldham and is in a prime location for residents, with easy access to nearby amenities, Oldham Town Centre’s shops and services and the local transport network.

Our development is set to benefit from £1.14 million from Greater Manchester’s Brownfield Housing Fund allocation, designed to help deliver new homes on formerly developed sites across the city region.

Joel Owen, our Director of Development, said: “Getting approval for the new build homes at West Vale is welcome news and we’re committed to creating a vibrant neighbourhood and improving the surrounding area so that people, families and businesses there can thrive. Thank you to everyone who shared feedback on our plans and helped to shape them.

“We're working hard to create more homes for people in our borough, where there's a shortage of affordable and social housing. We’ve got plans to deliver 850 high quality, affordable new homes in Oldham and surrounding areas by 2026 to help bridge the gap. The new homes at West Vale will go towards us reaching that target and creating high quality, modern homes for people who need them."

Supporting the local economy, creating opportunities for people and businesses in Oldham and generating meaningful social value are ongoing priorities for us in the West Vale project.

Joel adds: “We are working with Oldham-based D Hughes Demolition and Excavation to demolish and clear the tower blocks, which will generate multiple benefits for the local area. We’ve also established a Resident Engagement Panel and Neighbourhood Network that we meet with regularly to discuss points raised in our consultation and our teams are working hard to plan and deliver community development programmes involving local residents in the scheme. We’ll continually be exploring ways that our West Vale development can leave a lasting and positive legacy in the community and Oldham as a whole and I look forward to work beginning.”

Demolition of Crossbank House and Summervale House was approved by Oldham Council in September 2020. Work to take them down will begin at the end of July this year and last until the end of November. Construction of the new build homes is due to take place in spring 2022 with homes due for completion in autumn 2023.

Read more about the project and stay up to latest news by visiting www.fcho.co.uk/westvale