Residents of Hill Street, Heywood, gathered this week (23.1.12) to mark the completion of five new family homes for rent, which have been developed on a once derelict piece of land.
They were joined by Cllr Peter Rush from Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and John Cockerham, Director of Neighbourhood Services at Guinness Northern Counties, the local housing provider which purchased and developed the land.
Previously home to just one derelict building, the Hill Street of today is barely recognisable, with one 2-bedroom and four 3-bedroom homes for rent which are already fully occupied. The split-level design of the scheme takes advantage of the small steeply sloping site.
All four of the new homes meet Code Level 3 for Sustainable Homes and achieve Lifetime Homes Standards along with Secured By Design accreditation.
Contractor Denton Construction ensured minimal disruption to existing residents by adopting the Considerate Constructors approach to building, which is geared towards lowering the impact of building sites within residential areas.
The land and existing derelict property were redeveloped with funding from the Homes & Communities Agency, Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) and Guinness Northern Counties, in a bid to stimulate regeneration and provide much-needed homes in the area.
John Cockerham, Director of Neighbourhood Services for Guinness Northern Counties, said: “This is a fantastic scheme that meets a great need in Heywood for family houses. It shows just what can be achieved by organisations working together and we are very grateful to Rochdale Council for their support particularly in terms of the land acquisition.”
The scheme is one of three regeneration projects in the borough to be given the go-ahead under the Greater Manchester Local Investment Plan.