CONTROVERSIAL plans for 234 homes to be built in Springhead have been lodged.
Proposals to build a £3 million road and up to 265 homes at the Knowls Lane site were first refused by Oldham Council in November 2018 but subsequently approved in July 2019.
Local campaign group Save Our Valleys raised more than £50,000 to launch a legal challenge but a judge ruled against their bid for a judicial review in December last year.
The road was given full planning approval two years ago, but the homes element of the plan for the site requires further detailed permission.
Developer Russell Homes has now applied to Oldham Council for reserved matters permission for 234 homes to be built on the site, with a mix of five, four, three and two bed detached and semi-detached houses.
Around 22 per cent of the new housing estate would be ‘affordable’ under the criteria agreed with the council in 2019.
An area has been reserved for the provision of a primary school as agreed under the terms of the original Section 106 agreement and a new play area is also proposed to be built within the site.
Access to the site would be provided from the new link road, with public rights of way being retained although these may be ‘slightly altered alignments’ in some cases.
Up to 12.67 acres of ‘new and enhanced public space’ would be provided as part of the development.
The landscape around Thornley Brook would be retained within an ‘enhanced ecology corridor’, according to the plans.
The design report on behalf of Russell Homes states: “The development will deliver a high quality, well-balanced residential scheme, set within an attractive landscaped setting, and will support, encourage, and enrich the community.
“The proposal will contribute to local housing needs, create new and improved pedestrian links, areas for formal and informal play, and enhance the ecological value of the site to create a distinct sense of place.
“Furthermore, the proposals will complement, enhance, and interact with existing site features, creating a development which harmoniously fits within its’ surroundings.”
However, Save Our Valleys are still challenging the development and the extensive process.
A member commented: “Since early 2017, when a small number of people came together and founded Save Our Valleys, they have grown in numbers and support.
“We could never have imagined that after nearly five years on we would still be going and still determined to question and challenge.
“During that time, we successfully had this application rejected at both Parish level and at OMBC.
None of this would have been possible without the support of everyone in the community that attended the many events and helped us to raise the funds needed to challenge this development.
“We fully appreciate the end result may not be what many want, but we will keep fighting to help influence and improve any element of this development we can.
“We have continued to try and keep an open dialogue with OMBC to get the best we can and we have secured another meeting with relevant people to discuss the houses and concerns many have raised.
“We therefore ask that the community continue to raise their concerns and objections, not just about the impact of the development, but asking for assurances that all the required processes and procedures are followed and that the inspections and checks required, pre-construction and during, are adhered to.”
• See the plans and documents on Oldham Council’s website: https://tinyurl.com/2jejj75p
The consultation period ended on November 29 and a decision is expected by February 7, 2022.
As far as I can make out all the planned houses are in Lees, Oldham. None are in Springhead, Saddleworth. The actual plan says Lees Oldham.
Lees is in Lancashire; Springhead is in Yorkshire. The boundary is at County End.
The headline refers to a Springhead development. The boundary between Lees and Springhead as you say is at County End. The boundary between Lees and Saddleworth follows Thornley Brook. All the houses are on the Lees side. One access road runs from Springhead. I am opposed to the development on multiple grounds but just pointing out that it is infact in Lees. Developers might try and pass it off as being in Springhead, Saddleworth in the hope of pushing the prices up.
The estate link road is Springhead ,- the ancient forest to be destroyed is Springhead if that isnt enough , this will cause major issues within our small village communities.. the sheer volume of this estate will create mayhem during every stage of development and afterwards. Local amenities are all ready stretched , the local and 1 main road are already compromised . It’s an absolute disgrace that Oldham planning could seriously think this location is an ideal spot to plonk 200 + houses…
The traffic is arendous now trying to get threw lees at rush hour /the schools are full the doctors and dentist are full were are all these new residents going to go
Once again Oldham council green lighting a scheme that is detrimental to the area. Do any of them actually live and commute in the areas that they’re intent on ruining?
Once again non of these will be much needed social housing and only about a quarter of them will be, “affordable,” housing so not much help there for the thousands of people in Oldham struggling to find homes and decent accommodation a crisis which seems to be being compounded by refugees being given priority in the allocation of what limited social housing is still available.
Who other than the developers, this will actually benefit is questionable ?
But Oldham currently has a population of around a quarter of a million people so this kind of, “creep,” is probably inevitable and what looks like the site of a new estate near Grains Bar will be in clear sight of Delph.
The same thing is happening right across the UK, even the Highlands of Scotland until only a few years ago one the last wildernesses is rapidly being developed and urbanized.
More houses are desperately needed to be built all over the UK. If not your children or children’s children will never be able to afford their own home. With a quarter being affordable homes too then this is a real boost for local young families who want to stay in the area.
This land is perfect for a large development. The fields are unmaintained and unsightly. The link road will be a vital relief for Lees Village. Traffic exiting Rhodes Hill at certain times is just too busy.
It would be nice to see a doctors surgery and dental practice included in the scheme though. However, the development is inevitable and the sooner SOV come to terms with that and leave the council and developers to get on with it, the better for all.
The road through the Milking Green is quite dangerous and very narrow also trying to exit from here into High Street Lees is a complete nightmare when traffic wishes to turn right. Is this going to be addressed.
The plan appears to show a new through route from Knowls Lane/Rhodes Hill at the end of Lees New Road to Oldham Road, Springhead, via Ashbrook Road.
Creating this rush-hour ratrun has sensibly been resisted for many, many years.
Unfortunately, the exit from the new estate and the exit from Lees New Road are offset, which will create a chaotic, very dangerous junction for everyone using either road.
It must be possible to plan better than this!