A NEW homes development in Diggle will be downsized, according to the building company.
Proposals to erect 77 houses on two sites off Huddersfield Road only received approval in January via Oldham Council’s planning committee despite strong local opposition.
Six months later the land in front of the Saddleworth School was acquired by developers Redrow, who have now confirmed they are preparing to submit a new application.
Instead of 77 homes they intend to seek the green light for 66 homes, including seven affordable properties.
It is also proposed to construct new vehicular access in from Huddersfield Road to serve the southern parcel of land, rather than using the road serving the school.
Other features of the original application to be retained include terraced properties directly fronting Huddersfield Road, views towards the listed office building on the school site, retained landscaping at the boundary with Diggle Brook, and an access into the northern land parcel from Huddersfield Road.
The development has been given a working title of Broadstone Manor. Some tree clearance has already taken place on the site.
Prior to its January approval by the local authority planning committee, the application was recommended for refusal by Saddleworth Parish Council and received nearly 80 objections.
However, Chadderton-based WRT received permission to build 17 two-bedroom homes,
22 three-bedroom houses, 34 four-bedroom houses and four five-bedroom houses.
Redrow Lancashire land director Karl Longworth said: “When we acquired the Diggle site in July it already had detailed planning permission for 77 homes.
“However, we’re proposing an alternative scheme which would reduce the density of the development to 66 homes.
“Ahead of submitting a revised planning application, which if approved would replace the existing consented scheme, leaflets outlining the plans were hand delivered to more than 700 homes in the Diggle area in early August and two ward councillors also advised on the proposals via email.
“Our award-winning homes regularly attain recognition for their design excellence, build quality and customer satisfaction and we create thriving communities in the areas that we build homes.
“The revised plans were determined following market research and include three to five-bedroom properties, with seven affordable homes forming part of our plans for the development, which we’re calling Broadstone Manor due to its proximity to Broadstone Hill.
“The affordable homes will be provided under the same terms as under the existing planning consent.
“A small number of trees have been removed under the approved plans for the site, after an ecologist inspected the site and submitted a report to Oldham Council’s planning department.”
An Oldham Council spokesperson said: “The new housing development works in Diggle haven’t formally started yet, meaning the conditions attached to this planning application are not yet enforceable.
“That said, we have made investigations about why trees have been felled on this site within the bird nesting season, and a report has since been received confirming that an ecologist visited the site on August 15, 2022 and that no active bird nests were present, and no activity suggested nesting at that time.”
Speaking as a former resident of Saddleworth I feel completely stunned to learn of this proposed housing development, not least the increased impact it will inevitably impose on the existing services and infrastructure of the area. My personal opinion is that the built-up nature of much of the area has long since exceeded acceptable limits, and it is about time Oldham Council planners and the property developers began to realise this. Do they want Saddleworth to retain its relatively rural character or are they literally hell bent onn allowing it to become another Oldham suburbia?