Agenda item

Stakehill Report

Meeting of Planning Committee, Wednesday, 18th October, 2023 6.00 pm (Item 9.)

Minutes:

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Planning which advised members of the Consultation from Rochdale Borough Council on planning application 23/00650/HYBR.

Members were advised that the application was for “a garden village at land at Stakehill comprising outline application (access only) for a major mixed use development comprising up to 1147 dwellings (Class C3), local centre, extension to St Johns Primary School and MUGA together with associated access from Thornham New Road, landscaping, open space, drainage, ecological enhancements, cycleway and footpath linkages, infrastructure and other ancillary works thereto and full planning application for the 233 dwellings including landscaping, SUDS pond, sub-station, footpaths and access from A664 Manchester Road”

The application site comprised most of the northern part of the proposed Stakehill allocation in the Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan (PfE). The Stakehill allocation was a cross-boundary allocation covering parts of both Rochdale and Oldham boroughs and was a mixed-use allocation, with residential development proposed solely in Rochdale to the north of the existing Stakehill industrial estate (and primarily to the north of Thornham Lane), and employment development proposed in both boroughs to the south and east of the existing Stakehill industrial estate, effectively expanding the existing employment area.

Members were advised that the Stakehill allocation in PfE was covered by proposed policy “JP Allocation 2 Stakehill” (JPA2). PfE was currently at examination stage but had reached a point where the Inspectors examining the Plan had proposed a series of main modifications to the Plan that they considered were necessary to make the Plan “sound”. These main modifications included some amendments on specific matters to the proposed policy wording for JPA2, but not to the allocation itself or the mixture of development across the allocation. As such, whilst PfE had not yet been adopted, the examination had reached a stage where PfE was a significant material consideration and a substantial amount of weight should be given to the policies as proposed to be modified by the Inspectors, including JPA2, when making planning application decisions.

Oldham Council objects to application 23/00650/HYBR, submitted by Redrow Homes, on the basis that it does not comply with proposed policy “JP Allocation 2 Stakehill” of the modified Places for Everyone Joint Development Plan (to be referred to as Policy JPA2 hereafter). Policy JPA2 included several criteria to be used when assessing planning applications within the allocation boundary. Whilst many of the criteria were of a detailed, application site based nature which Rochdale Borough Council would assess, three in particular were of a more strategic basis that affect the whole allocation (and so Oldham borough) and that Oldham Council were concerned are not being properly addressed by the submitted application. These were:

· Criterion 3: “Achieve excellent design and sustainability through masterplanning and the use of design codes for the whole site to ensure comprehensive development. This will include the need for an infrastructure phasing and delivery strategy in accordance with policy JP-D1. The scale of the residential development on the northern part of the allocation provides an opportunity to adopt a 'garden village' approach to create a locally distinctive residential offer;”

· Criterion 8: “Make provision for new and improved sustainable transport and highways infrastructure having regard to the indicative transport interventions set out in Appendix D in accordance with policy JP-C7;”

· Criterion 13: “Improve access arrangements in and around Stakehill Industrial Estate to assist in the separation of residential and employment traffic as much as possible and to make appropriate provision for lorry parking;”