Rochdale Central Retail Park: Plans for 200 homes approved

The development will feature 142 apartments and 81 town houses

Plans to build more than 200 homes on the site of a derelict retail park are a "fantastic opportunity" for town-centre living, a councillor has said.

The development of the former Central Retail Park in Rochdale has been approved by the council's planning committee.

The seven-acre brownfield site will also see the creation of a new park.

Councillor Phil Burke said "high-spec" apartments would provide homes for people "to enjoy themselves".

"I think this is a fantastic opportunity to get people living in the town centre," the vice chair of the planning committee said.

Plans for development of the site at Oldham Road and Drake Street have been approved

"We have 'high-spec' apartments being built for people who want to move into the town to enjoy themselves."

Councillor Billy Sheerin described the site, which lies between Oldham Road and Drake Street and close to the town's railway station, as "a gem".

He said development of the site, previously home to Wynsors, Focus and MFI, was "seriously important" for regeneration of the town.

"This is a brownfield site that hasn't been built on for years and years and years," he said.

"We need to do something with this site and this is a wonderful development."

The plans form part of the council's £20m bid for government "levelling up" money

Councillor Sameena Zaheer also backed the "vital" scheme, which is part of the authority's wider Station Gateway plans for a 1,500 home "urban community", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

However Councillor Peter Winkler expressed concerns the development was "idealistic and Utopian" and "beyond actual reality".

"I think we are building city centre living in Rochdale," he said.

"I hope it all works - I hope that the Utopian plan comes to fruition. I'm going to support it, but I hope in years to come we see the plan we are describing tonight."

Councillors also raised concerns over the absence of affordable housing, but were told the developer had proven this would be financially unviable.

There were also reservations over the impact on traffic and the potential for Rochdale to become a commuter town for Manchester.

The scheme is not yet fully funded but forms part of the council's £20m bid to the government for "levelling up" money.