Three innovative housing designs go head-to-head » Housing » 24dash.com

Three examples of innovative housing design created by the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder will go head-to-head with the very best new housing, in the prestigious national Housing Design Awards.

A development of eco-friendly homes in Coppice, Oldham together with two approved developments to be built at Wardleworth and Hamer in Rochdale have been shortlisted for the awards.

Alastair Graham, Director of the Oldham Rochdale HMR Pathfinder said: “It is a tribute to the high quality of design that we are delivering for communities in both Oldham and Rochdale, that we should have three impressive developments shortlisted for the awards.”

The 18 new ‘super insulated’ family homes on Selwyn Street in Coppice, developed by Great Places Housing Group, feature solar panels on their ‘saw tooth’ roofs, wind turbines to generate renewable energy and large windows to maximise light. They were built using timber windows, and other ‘A’ Rated environmentally friendly materials.

The homes were the first to be completed under the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal (HMR) Pathfinder - a programme seeking to transform the housing markets in Oldham and Rochdale.

The Selwyn Close homes are already award winning. In 2006, they received the Building for Life ‘gold standard’, in national recognition of their imaginative green design.

The Pathfinder’s development partner in Rochdale, BASE, will build eighty-five homes alongside the River Roch at the former Dale Mill site in Hamer. The high quality landscaped development will include play spaces and stand alongside the River Roch, with views toward the Pennine hills. Many of the homes will be available as affordable housing, and will be managed by West Pennine Housing Association.

Dale Mill has been at the forefront of promoting the added value of what design quality can bring to new housing in the Pathfinder area. The sheme has received positive feedback for its approach to community consultation, urban design and architecture, and received favourable comments from CABE's national Design Review Panel prior to being submitted for planning.

The third development to make the shortlist will be built at Trafalgar Street in Wardleworth. A first phase will see 15 properties for sale, six three-bedroom and nine four-bedroom homes.

The Trafalgar Street scheme provides a modern day interpretation of the traditional terrace, though providing larger family housing as well as accommodating cars and bin storage. The development will also improve the sustainability of new housing by achieving an Eco-homes 'very good' rating.

Further homes for rent and shared ownership will be available from West Pennine Housing Association. Later phases will take the total number of homes in the development up to 54.

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