Bloor Homes Littleborough Consultation
Welcome
Bloor Homes is excited to be bringing forward proposals for 309 new homes, set around a new central park and tree-lined green corridor linking Hollingworth Lake to the Rochdale Canal. Our plans also include land for a new primary school and new additional car parking at Hollingworth Lake Country Park.
The site off Hollingworth Road has been allocated for the development of new homes by Rochdale Council in the Places for Everyone plan. With the principle of development for housing in this location established, Bloor Homes has submitted a planning application, which includes details such as the layout of the neighbourhood as well as the design of the new homes.
In order that our development best captures and reflects, as far as possible, the comments of local people, we are undertook a public consultation in June 2024. This website has been updated to reflect the current status of the application.
Public Consultation
Bloor Homes is committed to consulting with the local community regarding our plans. We prepared this consultation website to enable the community to learn more about the proposals and share its views.
This consultation closed at 11:59pm on Tuesday 11 June 2024.
About Bloor Homes
Bloor Homes was established in 1969 when John Bloor founded the company and built its first home. Every possible detail was taken into consideration back then to create a beautiful home. The same is still true today. More than 50 years later, it is one of the largest privately owned house-building groups in the UK.
The family ethos behind Bloor Homes is evident in the way that it conducts its business. With a unique approach to building for a business of its size, it looks at the bigger picture before starting on any residential proposal. As a family-owned business, it commits to responsible development, and stays involved with its new communities over the long-term.
For more information regarding the Bloor Group, please visit www.bloorhomes.com.
Masterplan
Our masterplan shares the ambitions Rochdale Council has for the site.
The proposals incorporate:
- 309 new family homes in a mix of types and styles, suitable for a wide variety of people with different needs
- Affordable homes as part of the new neighbourhood, offered as social rent or shared ownership
- A central parkland, creating a green corridor connecting the Rochdale Canal through to Hollingworth Lake
- Cycling and walking routes throughout the neighbourhood
- Dedicated land for a new school
The key elements are labelled on the indicative plan.
Our Proposals for Hollingworth Road
- 309 much-needed new family homes
- Beautiful landscaping in and around the new neighbourhood, including the creation of a Central Parkland
- All homes will meet the Future Homes Standard, using the best technology available and access to super fast broadband
- Electric vehicle charging access for all properties
- A network of footpaths and cycleways through the site that link up with existing Public Rights of Way and National Cycle Network Route 66
- A vision that complements development on the adjacent former AkzoNobel site
- Easy access to local shops and facilities in Littleborough and Smithy Bridge
- Land designated for a new primary school
- The incorporation of sustainable drainage systems
The site comprises 20.8ha of farmland at Hollingworth Road, Littleborough, Rochdale.
It is bounded to the south-west by existing homes and to the north-west by the Rochdale Canal and a railway line. Hollingworth Lake is located towards the southeast of the site, beyond the existing visitor car park. Vistry Partnerships control the former Akzo Nobel site adjacent to the north, with construction underway for new homes.
There are a range of local facilities and services nearby, which will be accessible to future residents through walking and cycling routes and avoiding the need to use private cars. This makes the site a sustainable location for new homes and will provide more choice of housing for local people who wish to live in Littleborough.
Some of the key local facilities nearest to the site in Littleborough town centre include a Post Office, library, supermarkets, and various other local shops, public houses, takeaways and cafes, all of which are an approximate 1 km walk (10 to 12 minutes) from the site. Cafés, bars and restaurants close to Hollingworth Lake are within walking distance of the site.
Littleborough is served by three medical centres (Littleborough Health Centre, The Village Medical Centre, Trinity Medical Centre), and Bloor Homes proposes land designated for the development of a new primary school within the site.
The new neighbourhood at Hollingworth Road will be based on a set sustainable development principles:
Community
The layout of the proposed neighbourhood and facilities will ensure that the site offers:
- A compact and well-designed layout providing recreation and exercise space for all residents within an easy walk
- Connected green spaces easily accessible to all
- Enhanced biodiversity by providing new trees, hedges, and other planting as part of a new green infrastructure network
- The retention of existing trees and hedgerows across the site, where possible
- Land retained within the site for a new primary school to reduce car journeys
Water Management
- The use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) will help reduce the volume and rate of surface water runoff from the new neighbourhood
- The drainage strategy will employ storage methods where viable such as ponds and underground tanks, to attenuate flow, remove pollutants, and ensure that runoff to existing watercourses is restricted according to the existing hydrology of the site
- All SuDS elements will be sized to accommodate increased flows from potential future climate change
- Using permeable hard surfaces and attenuation ponds, the site-wide water management and drainage solution will avoid any increase in surface water run-off to the natural watercourses
Movement
The movement strategy, where possible, will:
- Reduce carbon emissions by promoting active travel
- Provide convenient and safe spaces for walking and cycling within the site
- Include facilities to encourage cycling
- Create a network of safe walking and cycle routes under good natural surveillance
- Enable residents to use and enjoy space around homes whilst maintaining vehicular access
- Incorporate infrastructure for electric car charging throughout the neighbourhood
Energy and Resources
- All homes built to meet the Future Homes Standard, based on the best technology available
- Electric vehicle charging points
- Super-Fast Broadband (enabling more home working and less reliance on cars for travelling to work)
Visitor Car Park off Rakewood Road
As part of our plans we are proposing to move the existing car park at Hollingworth Road to an expanded provision at Hollingworth Lake Country Park.
The extra spaces will weave into the landscape and incorporate:
- A distinct woodland setting with new native planting
- Wildflower meadow and picnic area
- Accessible parking spaces
- New coach parking provision
Next Steps – Project Update – May, 2025
Bloor Homes have made a variety of amendments to the application following feedback from stakeholders and consultees:
- The central open space within the Hollingworth Road parcel has been redesigned to enhance its natural character, with reduced planting to maintain openness and reinforce the Southern Pennines landscape.
- A Local Area for Play (LAP) has been incorporated into the central green space to provide recreational value for future residents.
- The site entrance has been redefined with larger stone-built homes, low walls, and structured planting to create a strong and attractive gateway feature.
- House designs now include contemporary features such as flat-roofed porches and balconies, with garages repositioned to soften street views. The transition to neighbouring developments has been improved through varied house types and materials.
- Local heritage has been embedded into the scheme through the use of dry-stone walls and architectural detailing that reflects the area’s traditional character, including roof styles and chimneys.
- Key frontages have been redesigned to reduce the visual impact of parked cars and introduce a more informal, landscape-led layout. Road alignments and surface treatments have also been updated to enhance the public realm.
- The affordable housing mix has been amended to include both social rent and shared ownership units, in line with feedback from the Council’s Strategic Housing Service.
- The total number of dwellings for which planning permission is sought has been reduced from 312 to 309.
Benefits of the development
In terms of key benefits, the development will:
- Provide a mix of 309 family homes in an accessible and sustainable location to help meet the future housing needs of Littleborough
- Affordable homes as part of the new neighbourhood, paving the way for first time buyers
- Provide land for a new primary school in the south east corner of the site
- Facilitate the development of a new car park for visitors to Hollingworth Lake
- Deliver an integrated and high-quality network of public open space, green connections, and walking and cycling infrastructure, which will significantly improve access between the site, Hollingworth Lake, Rochdale Canal, the two railway stations and Littleborough town centre
- Maximise the site’s Pennine fringe setting with a landscape led approach to development which makes the most of the site’s existing landscape features and the natural setting
- Support Rochdale Council’s vision for the site and wider Littleborough Station masterplan
Register your interest in a new home
Are you interested in one of our new homes at Hollingworth Lake? If so, please use our registration form so we can keep you informed of our progress.
Contact us
You can contact us and/or leave your feedback in the following ways:
Telephone: 0800 066 8941