Rochdale Borough Council has validated a fresh wave of planning applications, setting the stage for significant changes across the borough. The newly approved proposals, validated up to the week ending Friday, November 14, include everything from new glamping sites and telecommunications infrastructure to major alterations for drive-thru restaurants and residential extensions.
Major Development Projects
Several substantial projects feature in this latest batch of validated applications. A prominent proposal is for the installation of a 25-metre 'pine tree' monopole telecommunications base station at Middleton Cricket Club on Towncroft Avenue. This structure would support six antennas and two transmission dishes, housed within a new fenced compound alongside equipment cabinets.
In the retail sector, significant reconfiguration is planned for the former Pink Drips Unit at Sandbrook Park. Two separate applications detail intentions to transform the site; one for a single-lane drive-thru facility and another for a dual-lane drive-thru, both involving substantial alterations to the car park layout, landscaping, and the building's external elevations with new pick-up windows and canopies.
Furthermore, Hopwood Hall College's Rochdale Campus must now submit details to comply with a biodiversity net gain condition attached to a previous planning permission (25/00541/FUL).
Residential and Leisure Expansions
A clear trend towards enhancing residential property and leisure offerings is evident. In Littleborough, two separate applications concerning 13 Hollingworth Fold propose the installation of glamping units within the curtilage and a full change of use for the land to form a glamping site. This would include six glamping units, a communal bell tent, extended parking, and the use of an existing cottage as staff accommodation.
Residential extensions are also plentiful. Notable applications include a first floor rear extension, two storey side extension, and new dormers at 7 Ferndale Avenue in Rochdale. Similarly, a certificate of lawfulness is sought for a proposed single-storey outbuilding at 114 Windermere Road in Middleton.
Other residential projects involve a first-floor rear extension at 42 Penistone Avenue, a single-storey front infill extension at 3 Glenavon Drive, and a proposed single-storey rear extension at 43 Greave Avenue, which is seeking prior approval.
Commercial and Community Changes
The validated applications also signal shifts in commercial and community use. A change of use is proposed for Unit 2, 87 Exeter Street, seeking to convert the space from Light Industrial and storage to a launderette (Sui-generis).
In Middleton, new internally illuminated fascia, projecting, and hanging signs are planned for Unit G17 within the Middleton Shopping Centre. For community care, a significant expansion is proposed for the Riverside Nursing Home on Church Street in Littleborough, involving a first and second-floor rear extension and a loft conversion with dormers to create additional accommodation.
Additional applications cover a wide range of projects, including the erection of a detached storage unit on land behind 242-246 Oldham Road, single-storey extensions to a barn at The Barn Doctor on Fold Lane in Heywood, and boundary treatment alterations accompanying various developments.
This comprehensive list of validated applications highlights a period of active development and transformation for Rochdale, Middleton, Littleborough, and Heywood, reflecting both commercial ambition and residents' desires to enhance their properties and local amenities.
