Lower Falinge

As you may be aware, last year we received approval from Rochdale Borough Council to demolish the six blocks which are currently empty - Newstead, Ollerton, Quinton, Romsey, Ullesthorpe, and Vaynor.

However, this approval was withdrawn by the Council following a legal challenge. This was because it was felt that more information should be shared about what would be delivered on the site before demolition takes place.

We understand and respect this position. As a result, we are adjusting our approach to ensure there is greater clarity and opportunity for involvement about what comes after demolition.

We are now preparing:

• An outline planning application, which will set out the principles of what could be built on the site (for example, the type and number of homes), and;
• A prior approval application for demolition of the blocks that will enable new homes, submitted alongside this.
  This means we will first agree what could be built before any demolition takes place, giving everyone a clearer picture of the future of the site.

This approach will allow us to make progress on delivering high-quality new homes, whilst giving us more time to talk to you about what you would like to see as part of the new development. We remain committed to progressing the regeneration of Lower Falinge and bringing forward a scheme that makes our community proud and provides the homes we need.

Over recent months, we have:

• Appointed DK Architects as our design architects, who will work with us to develop the proposals
• Carried out an initial walkabout with residents and the design team (Wednesday 8th April) – thank you to everyone who attended and shared their views
• Begun early technical and site investigations to better understand the opportunities and constraints of the site
• Continued to review feedback received to date to help shape emerging ideas, including the views you shared on our walkabout.

Starting from 26 May, our contractor Sutcliffe’s (and their specialist consultants) will be on site carrying out ground investigation surveys in Lower Falinge. You may notice equipment being delivered from today. We expect this work to last around a week.

This work will help us to understand ground conditions and are a normal and important part of preparing a planning application. There may be some minor disruption while these surveys take place, and we wanted to make sure you were aware in advance.

Ecology Surveys are also ongoing and should not have any impact on residents - you may see some people looking at buildings and trees.

Over the coming months, we will focus on developing design proposals and preparing the planning application:

• Our first step will be to engage in a pre-planning consultation with the planning team at Rochdale Borough Council to establish design principles.
• We will then produce plans based on feedback from the Council team and from the feedback that you have already given us.
• We will share our plans with you as part of a public consultation to give you the chance to tell us what you think about the proposed design
• We will then seek to submit an outline planning application which will set out the principles of what could be built on the site. This will include asking for approval to demolish Newstead, Ollerton, Quinton, Romsey, Ullesthorpe, Vaynor, and Zedburgh.
• Once our outline planning application has been determined, there will be more opportunities for you to share your views, before we submit a detailed planning application.

We are fully committed to engaging with you and the wider community. We are planning a range of consultation events in early summer, that will enable you to get involved. These will include:

• In-person drop-in events
• Online sessions
• Paper and online surveys
• Smaller focus groups, including opportunities to explore design ideas in more detail

We are particularly keen to hear from residents who would like to be more closely involved in shaping the design. If this is something you would be interested in, please let us know.

Ahead of the main consultation in the summer, we are keen to gather your initial thoughts. If you have ideas, concerns, or suggestions that you would like us to consider as we develop the proposals, please do get in touch. Early input helps us to make sure that we are focusing on the things that matter most to you.

We are also open to suggestions on how you would like to be involved in the consultation process.