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You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports Schemes supported as part of record £2.65 billion two-year investment to protect communities from flooding Spill count and duration remains unacceptably high across England Data analysis and stricter rules to reduce pollution going forward Partnership unlocks 18,000 new homes whilst ensuring high standards of environmental protection delivering change in line with Government’s plan for growth Environment Agency publication captures latest research about natural flood management to help understand what works best where Three men were arrested on 5 February as part of an investigation into the large-scale illegal tipping of waste at the Hoads Wood SSSI in Ashford A record £2.65 billion will be committed to build or maintain up to 1,000 flood defences The Environment Agency works to create better places for people and wildlife EA is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, supported by 1 public body Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday Contact: Report serious wrongdoing How to report whistleblowing concerns to the Environment Agency Contact: Report fraud to the Environment Agency How to report fraud and irregularities against the Environment Agency All statutory and legal documents should be served by email to LegalSupport@environment-agency.gov.uk, with a hard copy posted to the address above.All other correspondence including complaints should be sent to enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Ground Engineering magazine is preparing to launch the 2025 GE100 survey which will once again identify the biggest players and key trends in the UK geotechnical sector The election to appoint three new members to the British Geotechnical Association (BGA) executive committee is now under way Voting is open to all BGA members and will close at 5pm on 30 May 2025 Imperial College London's Agustín Ruiz López discussed research that has demonstrated the potential of surrogate models to revolutionise modelling processes in geotechnics Caledonian Maritime Assets is seeking a contractor to carry out ground investigations (GI) for a major project to upgrade ferry fleets and associated infrastructure on the west coast of Scotland Have a question about ground engineering? 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Click here to try now Under the baton of musical director Ashley Higgins the band impressed the adjudicators with a performance described as one of "real merit with control and drama" as they delivered the set test piece They were awarded first place in Section C Their achievements on the day did not end there The band also received the 'Best Hymn' award for their well-crafted rendition of the traditional hymn tune Nicaea This latest victory continues an impressive run for the Littleborough-based group they secured qualification for the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain Last year they finished in an impressive fourth place in the 4th Section of the national finals and following consistently strong results at the North West Regional Championships they will be promoted to the 3rd Section from January 2026 Ashley Higgins said: "The band has worked tremendously hard and I am incredibly proud of their dedication Retaining our title at Holme Valley is a fantastic achievement." Littleborough Brass Band will next perform in their home town with a free outdoor concert at Hare Hill Park on Sunday 18 May Audiences can expect an afternoon of popular favourites and brass band classics For more information about the band or to get involved, visit www.littleboroughband.co.uk Want to tell us about something happening in our Borough Let us know by emailing newsdesk@rochvalleyradio.com Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated Roch Valley Radio is a not-for-profit radio station serving Bury and Rochdale including the surrounding areas on DAB The scheme includes the construction of a flood storage reservoir and sections of linear defences both upstream and downstream as well as modifications to existing defences along the River Roch A rain-ready system of settlement ponds and Silt Capture Channels was used by contractor VolkerStevin to manage and treat silty water before it could be discharged into the River Roch Silt control products and design advice for the project were provided by Frog Environmental a joint venture company with the RSK Group “With increasing UK rainfall over recent years the site was designed with a rain-ready mitigation system to tackle the inevitable surface water.” He explained that the design reduces the need for continual pumping with water left in the settlement pond as required Pre-construction testing showed the soil particles are small and take over 24 hours to settle which means the water could not be discharged without significant mitigation He said: “Water is pumped through a Pipe Reactor where it is treated with Gel Flocculant to reduce settlement time then into settlement ponds and a final polishing pond which runs over a series of biodegradable mats to remove any remaining silt.” Frog Environmental Project Manager Gavin Beat said: “The rain-ready approach of using Silt Mats settlement ponds and Silt Capture Channels means the equipment remains in place year-round Independent laboratory testing has shown that there is 99% reduction in total suspended solids and up to 99% reduction in iron This means the water being discharged back into the river actually meets the threshold for drinking water standards “VolkerStevin contacted us early on in the process giving plenty of time for discussion and review before the project’s critical works began It really emphasises what can be achieved with early engagement towards water management.” This approach to water management is one of several sustainability-focused approaches taken on-site for this second phase of works Other approaches included the use of low-carbon sheet piling biofuel and hybrid vehicles and the reuse of crushed concrete for the haul road The project won the Building and Construction Flood Protection category – National Green Champion Award at the 2024 Green Apple Awards The Rochdale and Littleborough Flood Risk Management Scheme is being led by the Environment Agency in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council and has been supported by Network Rail the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee the Department for Education and the Department for Transport the flood scheme will better protect 723 homes and 489 businesses from flooding The Littleborough section will safeguard 337 homes and 185 non-residential properties the scheme aims to provide considerable environmental benefits with 1.2 acres of woodland enhancement at Grove Lodge and over 130 trees and 160 m of hedging to be planted Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager at the Environment Agency “We understand the devastating impact flooding can have which is why reducing flood risk is our top priority “We are pleased with the success of the construction of this scheme to date and that hundreds of homes and businesses are set to benefit from improved protection “We can’t always predict where the rain will fall or where flooding will occur so it’s essential we all do our part by checking our flood risk and signing up for flood warnings via www.gov.uk/prepare-for-flooding you can immediately improve your own readiness.” Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Environment “Our community understands first-hand the devastating impact that flooding has so these works will have a lasting and very real impact on our many residents and businesses in these areas.” Published by Capel Media Limited Registered in England and Wales Company Registration Number 13636441VAT Number GB 391 5977 47 Registered address:2 Claridge CourtLower Kings RoadBerkhamstedHertfordshireHP4 2AF Proud to be a member of British Water www.britishwater.co.uk © Capel Media Limited. All rights reserved. Click here to view our Privacy Policy Senior News ReporterPublished: Invalid Date AN X Factor star who has died aged just 34 shared a tragic last post from hospital Danny Dearden was 23 when he made it through to the judges' houses on Simon Cowell's music competition But the sad news of his passing was announced on Instagram by his agent Denise Beighton today Ms Beighton wrote: "Heartbroken to wake up to the news that you're gone Mel B has since paid a heartwarming tribute to Danny after his tragic death The Spice Girls star exclusively told The Sun: "This is so very I remember clearly the impact he made on me Danny had made it into Mel B's final six but did not make the cut for the live finals on the X Factor. He shared a picture on his official Insta account showing a Costa hot chocolate from hospital weeks before his death. The former joiner had previously posted in December 2023 about how the NHS had saved his life. at one point I was told I probably wouldn't be here today…well I am." The Littleborough artist also said he wasn't in the "best of health recently" on social media last year Danny's rendition of If You Love Me by Brownstone struck a chord with the former Mel B killer vocals and a slam-dunk of a performance!" Danny said: "It just hit me in the face all over again when I got through "I had a tear in my eye and I just spun round slapped myself and said what are you doing you’re really embarrassing yourself." The singer also said bootcamp was an experience he would never forget He continued: "It was a bit like the Hunger Games people think you just go on stage and sing but you don’t I genuinely never thought I’d get this far." However, he did not make it to the live finals after facing some stiff competition in Cancun, Mexico Danny performed Kelly Clarkson's Beautiful Disaster for Mel B and ex-bandmate Emma Bunton And Andrea Faustini bagged one of the three live finals places instead of Danny Mel B said: "I've loved you from day one undeniably you are pitch perfect but I can't take you through Family and friends rushed to social media to pay tribute to "D" penned: "It is with a heavy heart to hear of the passing of a great friend and such a talented artist Danny 'D' who passed away early this morning at the tender age of 34 "My deepest condolences go out to his mum Cath and all his Family and friends at this heartbreaking time No words right now a tragic loss to everyone and so talented too." Local pub Dyers Arms posted on Facebook: "Ourselves and the family would like to invite everybody to the dyers arms tonight at 6pm to raise a glass to your beloved friend Adele tribute act Lareena Mitchell said: "What a grand lad he was had the pleasure of working with Danny over the years with John McDermott Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ Credit: ITV NewsA teenager has been arrested on suspicion of causing a wildfire that has engulfed a large patch of moorland Five fire engines are tackling the fire, which is burning across the Blackstone Edge moorlands near Rochdale The Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) was called to the moors off of Blackstone Edge Old Road and Halifax road on the afternoon of Wednesday 26 March but crews are still at the scene attempting to completely extinguish the fire It is believed the Blackstone Edge Old Road is closed as firefighters tackle the blaze Smoke was seen billowing across the hills after grass caught fire near the Blackstone reservoir, which looks over Littleborough and Rochdale A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: "Shortly after 1pm this afternoon (Wednesday 26 March) we were called to reports of a fire on Moorside "Emergency services attended and thankfully A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of arson." A spokesperson for GMFRS said: “At shortly before 1.15pm on Wednesday (March 26) five fire engines from Rochdale Heywood and Chadderton fire stations plus specialist wildfire units were called to a fire on moorland off Blackstone Edge Old Road in Littleborough “GMFRS attended alongside Greater Manchester Police to quickly bring the fire under control Crews remain in attendance to completely extinguish the fire.” Sign our campaign for a grant funding review Rochdale Council earmarked the site for the Places for Everyone housing masterplan A hybrid application submitted to Rochdale Council features linked plans to extend the visitor car park at Hollingworth Lake Country Park Bloor Homes would develop a 47-acre farmland site off Hollingworth Road allocated in Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone plan Bloor’s proposals for the 312 homes would see a housing mix comprising of 31 two-bed 265 would be for private sale and 47 made available for social rent which currently serves as a public car park for visitors to Hollingworth Lake has been earmarked for a potential primary school and children’s play area An extended parking area would provide an extra 140 car parking spaces and space for coach parking within a woodland setting as well as a wildflower meadow and picnic area with trees to be planted along the park edge This central park would provide a green corridor linking Rochdale Canal to Hollingworth Lake for walkers and cyclists as well as a circular footpath network Access would be from the existing Hollingworth Lake Country Park car park off Rakewood Road with a priority junction from the car park’s internal road to be created sized to accommodate increased flows from potential future climate change and electric vehicle charging points are included in the plans Rochdale Council planners will decide on the proposals at a future date Stantec is on the project team along with Tyler Grange Group search for application reference number 24/00581/HYBR on Rochdale Council’s planning portal Read our comments policy Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Littleborough is far too small to house all these extra people The roads are already gridlocked and a short journey takes far too long You can’t get a Doctors appointment and we don’t have enough schools I know you will build a school but what about high schools We don’t need more houses in Littleborough Brilliant to see residential proposals come through in a location exactly where they are needed and with heaps of benefits to the local area too Hope these proposals sail through planning and are delivered as soon as possible Well I love the comments on how wonderful all the houses will be round the lake it will be awful expensive unaffordable housing and steal all of the beautiful area we look at whilst already being gridlocked (Can’t have a country park without countryside) if they weren’t needed then they won’t sell but they will so only a NIMBY would get annoyed by more developments To the proposed primary school to be built on the car park It is the only parking space for the terraced houses opposite The occupiers of the said houses are Pensioners and one being disabled and bedridden Where are the daily carers supposed to park when attending their client if they are bedridden why do they need/have a car Given the majority of Smithy Bridge housing is mid to late C20th if your house was a field circa 50 years ago I think its a bit rich to complain that the field next to you is being developed Another beautiful area that will be desecrated with ugly volume housebuilder type homes I appreciate the Council has to provide housing but the quality and design of these homes are just taking the character and uniqueness away from the area You can see this in almost every new build housing scheme The developer needs to work with us (the community) to deliver housing that is affordable attractive and ultimately still able to preserve this as an area to live Current road inferstructer could not cope with all extra traffic ( most house owners have about 2cars pair family) how would they address this We cannot prevent new homes being built to meet local needs and enable people to get onto the housing ladder simply because other people have chosen to buy a home that doesn’t include parking We stopped car-centric town planning decades ago It’s gridlocked on local roads as it is it’s a corridor of green already and there are already walking paths through the area already so you’re offering nothing No further doctors or dental practices within these plans Rochdale council are already planning hundreds of new homes in the Slattocks area of Middleton eroding the green belt In fact around Middleton the council has been building on farmland for years In fact there’s major building work everyday within the Borough look at the huge development around Sudden though at least that mainly seems to be brownfield Basically the Council are raking it in of the developers Save the greenbelt before it’s too late Save the lungs of the city not just farmland Already roads to busy and enough homes built and being built Build more apartments and flats nearer to the city centre This would reduce cars on the roads and preserve fields and nature This build is about lining someone’s pockets The borough claims it has a ‘disproportionately high number of HMOs’ and is pursuing the introduction of measures to wrestle back control The housing association is working with main contractor Caddick to build 69 social rent homes for over 55s and a GP surgery on 2.5 acres of disused land on Arrow Street in Broughton Register for free North West property intelligence Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Planning applications validated with Rochdale Borough Council up to the week ending Friday By Hayley Houston · 9 April 2025 See more from Rochdale Greater Manchester's dedicated InYourArea feed LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} Bands presented an evening of festive favourites but there are still opportunities to catch up with them again By NOTICEBOARD · 20 December 2024 The sound of Christmas filled St Andrew’s Church as the Littleborough Brass Bands Association delivered a magical evening of festive music at their annual Christmas Concert Featuring timeless carols and festive songs as well as dazzling arrangements of Christmas favourites the concert celebrated the joy of the festive season This special evening showcased all three of our bands each adding their own unique touch to the Christmas repertoire under the baton of conductor Julian Bayley delighting the audience with their enthusiasm with a selection of Christmas Carols they had worked hard on preparing over the past few months It was a proud moment for these developing musicians as they performed with confidence some for the first time to a live audience delivered a strong and varied set of festive music that highlighted the band’s broad musical talent including the themes from film favourites The Polar Express and Home Alone to the beautiful brass band arrangement of John Rutter’s Candlelight Carol The concert also featured the Littleborough Brass Band who closed out the concert with a rousing programme that showcased the band's depth of talent and also included the premiere of a brand-new arrangement of Carol of the Bells (Pentatonix version) specially arranged by the band's very own principal cornet player The night was a true celebration of Christmas music and we are proud of the hard work and dedication shown by all the players The Band wishes to thank those who came and supported the concert and gives a reminder that the association is always looking for new members Both the Training Band and Boro’ Brass are currently recruiting players If you’re interested in joining, please visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LittleboroughBrassBand or website www.littleboroughband.co.uk for more details you’ll have more opportunities to enjoy Littleborough Brass Band this festive season Join them for Carols in the Park at Hare Hill Park on Sunday December 22 at 2pm and again in thepark on Christmas Eve at 5pm This week's faith news from the Rochdale area By Hayley Houston · 25 January 2025 Deeplish will hold a service of Holy Communion on January 26 at 10am The service is followed by tea/coffee and biscuits and a chance to chat 10am - Bible Study will be held in the side room and is open to anyone who wants to find out more about the Bible in an informal and relaxed manner 11am – Morning Praise service officiated by Revd Natty Gray We look forward to welcoming our regular members and anyone who would like to join our very friendly there will be a service of Holy Communion at 10.15am The Holy Trinity Youth Theatre Workshop is open to all young people in school Year 4 or above We hope our next performances will be during the first week of our children's Easter break, April 10, 11 and 12. This is subject to our ability to get a license. Further information about events is available on the Benefice website, www.cofe-littleborough.co.uk in the parish room between 9am and 10.30am We are starting a new series entitled ‘Encounters with Jesus’ so this is an ideal time to come and give the breakfast a try This morning we’ll be thinking about the Disciples our morning service is an altogether service starting at 10.30am Since this is an all-age service there will be no children’s groups but children are very welcome and there will be activities for them to join in with We’ll be continuing our sermon series in Matthew verses twelve to twenty-five ‘Jesus began to preach’ need someone to pray with you or want to find community then we'd love to meet you Do join us too after the service for some light snacks and refreshments in a warm and welcoming atmosphere You’d also be very welcome at our prayer gathering tomorrow evening between 6.30pm to 7.30pm. What are you hoping God might do in your life or for your loved ones this year What would you love to grow or change in our community God promises that when we cry out to Him and seek Him Go on - why not give it a try for yourself You can expect more space and less structure than our Sunday morning services There will not be any pressure put on you to pray out loud if you want to come along to just listen and say 'amen' to all the prayers SMuRFs (St Mary's Under Fives) meets on Tuesday afternoon 1.30pm to 3pm in the parish room It costs £1 for one adult with child and an extra 30p each for extra children An opportunity to meet and make new friends please come with friends; make new friends If you are interested in what's going on at St M’s and like to know more head to our website, www.stmarysbalderstone.org.uk or please get in touch by e-mail stmarysbalderstone@gmail.com or see our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/saintmarysbalderstone is the celebrated 'Burns and Brass' night at St Andrew's If you happen to get this newspaper today (Friday) and you are reading about it on the Saturday - seven days after it was first mentioned in the 'Rochdale Observer' - it will be 'tonight' Any unsold remaining tickets will be sold on the door but to guarantee food please buy tickets online so that the organisers have at least an idea of numbers for ordering food It will be a memorable evening for everyone present and please remember this: You don't have to be a member of Littleborough Brass Band or a St Andrew's regular to come This is a Burns Night with a difference for anyone who fancies it is retiring after a combined 40 years of terrific service to St Andrew's February 2 which we will turn into a "David Wright" day He will choose and play some of his favourite hymns; we will formally trace his outstanding service to church choir and music; and we will say thank-you and pay homage to a man who has contributed so lovingly and so loyally to church life over such a long time giving David the best possible send-off and I believe some ex-members of the choir will be coming back especially for the occasion," said Janice Perkins Might we also tell you that February 2 is Candlemas so please bring any candles from home so they can be blessed during the service; that our branch of the Mothers' Union meets next on Monday February 3 at 2pm for purposes of the agm; that the charity we are supporting this month is the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI); that Rochdale Foodbank's most wanted items this week are rice new or nearly new clothes for Petrus; and any unwanted Christmas gifts that you will never use but will make great raffle prizes etc We can make use of all these items within a needy community so please don't throw anything away - just bring them into church and we'll do the rest a pat on the back for St Andrew's from Amnesty International As part of that world-wide organisation's annual Christmas project we sent cards to scores of prisoners of conscience and one of them who was imprisoned in Angola for daring to criticise the president The Manchester branch of Amnesty International has written to us with the good news about Neth has thanked us for taking part and has given us the thumb up and a big 'well done' Choral Eucharist is at St Chad's at 11.15am when the Psalm is 19 and the anthem "Fairest Lord Jesus" arranged by Martin How At both services the celebrant and preacher is Canon Roger Hill Each Monday at St Mary's from 10am until 2pm Refreshments are available and admission is free the Toad Lane Lunchtime Concert features Sam Rodwell is the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple Choral Eucharist is at St Chad's at 11.15 am has been the town's Parish Church for over 800 years we continue to serve the community of Rochdale today and you are warmly welcome to join us Children's activities are provided during Sunday morning services and refreshments afterwards For details of the Asian Christian Fellowship which meets at St Chad's on Sunday afternoons If you would like to submit your news for inclusion on InYourArea and in the Rochdale Observer print edition, please email info@inyouarea.co.uk Please note the deadline for submissions for inclusion in the newspaper of the same week is now 4pm each Wednesday See more from Rochdale A public consultation for the 315-home project near Hollingworth Lake has been launched by the housebuilder The 47-acre site has been allocated in Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone plan for the delivery of new homes having been put forward by Rochdale for that purpose the site off Hollingworth Road represents an opportunity to deliver much-needed new homes and support for the local visitor economy The firm added that designs for the scheme follow a landscape-led approach with a new central park and a tree-lined green corridor linking Rochdale Canal to Hollingworth Lake The design incorporates sustainable drainage systems sized to accommodate increased flows from potential future climate change while electric vehicle charging points will be incorporated throughout the neighbourhood Plans also include a children’s play area and land designated for a new primary school as part of the Places for Everyone allocation to be situated on the existing Hollingworth Lake visitor car park accessed off Hollingworth Road linked plans to extend the visitor car park at Hollingworth Lake Country Park are also proposed The extended parking area will provide an extra 140 car parking spaces and space for coach parking set within a woodland setting You can access the consultation at bloorlittleborough.consultationonline.co.uk until midnight on Tuesday 11 June regional managing director for Bloor Homes said; “We are delighted to be bringing forward these detailed proposals for new homes in Littleborough We have given great consideration to ensure we can sensitively deliver the new homes that Rochdale Council earmarked the site for during the Places for Everyone process and we look forward to hearing what the community has to say.” Clark added that Bloor is committed to providing new affordable homes as part of the new neighbourhood On the part of the project dealing with the popular country park he said: “As part of our plans we are proposing to move the existing car park at Hollingworth Road to an expanded provision at Hollingworth Lake Country Park The extra spaces will weave into the landscape incorporating new native tree planting and a wildflower meadow The extended car park would provide 140 parking spaces and spaces for coaches – on loose or self-binding gravel “Relocating the visitor car park allows us to unlock the land for a new primary school as demanded by the Places for Everyone allocation “We are pleased to be bringing this forward for consultation and look forward to receiving the feedback of local residents.” A chance to comment before the Littleborough NIMBYs pile in high quality development next to great amenities and a 20 minute rail journey to Manchester Victoria So Bloor will have to buy another farmer’s field to ensure they comply with the Biodiversity Net Gain requirements Country park being ruined by overdevelopment..no infrastructure to deal with increased numbers of residents more traffic and school will make this worse Residents already have to deal with huge traffic problems..there will be no hollingworth lake left soon if this continues..travesty for the wildlife We are told that farmland is needed to reduce climate change from imported foods yet Rochdale Council supports building on farmland Rochdale council’s own figures show that the roads and other infrastructure in the area are already well beyond capacity yet their answer is to continue to pass the building of more and more housing When incidents happen on the M62 the area becomes totally gridlocked for hours on end and RBC continue to block the development of a small supermarket in the area due to the need to provide relief for the M62 when this happens I also question the choice to build a primary school or anything else under an earth dam Was nothing learnt from the incident at Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire Hi Anonymous – this is a story about a public consultation No one has approved the application yet (an application hasn’t even been submitted) You can submit your feedback for official consideration by accessing the online consultation linked to in the story above Now I am all for new housing and all that it brings in terms of jobs etc etc However building more homes in Littleborough and around the lake area is madness the lake tourism will be compromised plus WHERE are the road building schemes the only access to the motorway is via kiln lane a wholly inadequate road for the levels of traffic now let alone when the 2 new estates currently being built go live This council couldn’t play a rational game of sims it’s just madness I live on Highlands and it makes me not want to live there anymore if this goes ahead Councils are obliged to hit government housing targets even though they have little to no direct involvement in delivery All they can do is approve applications from private developers or landowners that have the potential to contribute to the delivery of those targets whilst not being adequately funded to improve infrastructure What little improvements are funded is supposed to derived from pitiful s106 developer contributions The whole system is a mess and it’s a mess of the government’s making Councils are essentially stuck in the middle trying to satisfy multiple very loud nature and countryside it good for our mental health and yet people who don’t live in this lovely area decide we will cover the green with buildings regardless of the effect it will have on the existing residents of the are This area has been hit by housing development after development and it is time we said enough is enough For those complaining in the comments… the consultation is about the proposed design the 47 acre site is already allocated by housing That was a decision made by Rochdale Council as part of the preparation of Places for Everyone – which is now adopted If you wanted to prevent housing being built on the site you should have engaged in the Places for Everyone consultation when the site was being proposed as a housing allocation and I suspect it will sail through planning Some of folks on this thread might want to check Natural England’s map of agricultural land in the NorthWest by quality Most West Pennine farmland is rated poor or very poor and that also implies it’s only farmed with significant public subsidy Also thoughtful that many communities struggle with traffic but few have a Manchester – Leeds rail line within walking distance If you look towards the Smithy Bridge end of the Lake that took suburban housing in the 1930’s and post war too This is a great little scheme bringing much needed homes to a well connected commuter location every development in the country is next to someone that someone proudly states “we need houses JUST NOT HERE” every single time The question is where…but the reality is that they do not care “just not here” they parrot Will you be closing the path from heald lane to what is the car park now The people of Littleborough/ Smithy Bridge DO NOT want this Littleborough has been over developed already with greenbelt ruined and no thought to local wildlife hence poot deer knocked down by car on Smithy Bridge Road because they are running out of places to go Its heartbreaking and cannot be allowed to go ahead The population density in the UK is far too high Most of these people whinging about developments aren’t even from these areas There was someone from Essex recently complaining about a restaurant development in Uppermill on Granada Reports They are old mill towns which were once industrial and they are not showpiece villages in the Cotswolds but working communities and potential commuter towns for a booming Manchester Rochdale needs affordable homes and homes to rent people formerly living in Rochdale now need to move out of the Borough to rent This will not satisfy that critical demand There are plenty of new large homes on the adjacent site at Akzo currently being built In addition it will destroy an important wildlife corridor linking Hollingworth Lake and the canal taking out important breeding areas for red listed birds such as Lapwing who still hang on at the lake It will radically change the landscape character and have a detrimental impact on the South Pennines landscape and will be catastrophic for local traffic YIMBYism will be the downfall of this country now were the country of tiny homes and poor living standards Rochdale is an industrial town with highest share of green belt (63%) of any borough in GM and under indexes in middle class housing as a result It’s a place with more than its share of struggles (from which Littleborough tends to be nicely insulated) and needs more spending power and to take full advantage of its connections to Manchester to grow You can get a terraced house in Littleborough for £140k How much are Bloor going to ask for their ‘affordable’ homes So now we’ll have THREE housing estates all within a stones throw of each other and swamping Hollingworth Lake and surrounding areas with traffic and people Just imagine when it’s all heading for Milnrow of a morning Will any of these tacky new builds be affordable housing they’ll be sold for as much as they can possibly get Appreciating that there is a shortage of houses I am very concerned about a third housing development site in Littleborough particularly around Smithybridge and Hollingworth Lake The roads are already grid locked in the borough particularly at peak travel times and there is a shortage of doctors high schools and public parking which these housing development sites upon completion will be adding too we need High Schools not primary schools… WE DONT WANT THIS PROPOSAL TO BE ACCEPTED. Keep our Country park green and build your houses elsewhere… All looks very nice but has anyone considered the extra traffic involved It is one road in and out which cannot cope with any more cars We definitely don’t need any more housing in this area!! The roads you are talking about here are already gridlocked incorporating Smithy Bridge Wildhouse Lane & Littleborough…..Yet another development is not going to help the roads just cannot take the volumes of traffic…… These houses going to take away more of the little green space left in Rochdale bringing more traffic to an already busy road causing more misery road users and only a limited bus service available for those who might wish or need to use it No this must not go ahead I live on wildhouse Lane and on a weekend already we cannot get anywhere we are gridlocked you will ruin the area please do NOT BUILD!! How many houses do we need on our beautiful green land? How many houses are already in the process of being built/have been built since 2023? With the recent new houses near the canal which have completely upturned the land and destroyed homes for the surrounding wildlife The roads simply cannot cope with all of these new homes as they are constantly backed up and busy How will it be with an extra 315 homes and a new school? we already have primary schools in Littleborough – we can’t possibly need more Perhaps a new secondary school or an SEN school but please not here If I was being generous to some of the comments on here it highlights a gap in the understanding of the strategy behind Places for Everyone but also stand-out rail connections with the right investment in service (see GM Rail) and will have suffered from mediocre bus services (see Bee Network) in the past These are people who have built very car-centric lifestyles and quite reasonably assume there’s a lot more people like them coming to join their community The point is they are going to need to make a lot more of their journeys by public transit and indeed most Rochdale’s allocation of PfE housing is heavily linked to that rail corridor it’s just that live in one of the ‘nice’ locations I think this validates the PfE approach of 9 boroughs doing it together but it’s making difficult stuff like this happen Those that opted out (Stockport we are looking at you) aren’t going to get leniency when there’s a new Labour government in Westminster Well I am all for new development in the right area Right now it’s a total nightmare coming down lake bank just to get home in teatime traffic and even a weekend This was once a beautiful area which is being totally ruined Also try and park in the village at anytime of the day a high school or an underground link out of Littleborough before even considering building more houses Wrecking a valuable jewel in the crown of Rochdale No one wants to visit a built up area with a wet bit. Rich appears to think public transport is the answer unfortunately the awful reliability of all forms means you end up driving and many places of employment aren’t on routes drinking IS NOT a choice for most Whilst affordable homes are very much needed thoughts must be given to the infrastructure All of the surrounding roads are not capable of taking much more traffic not sure that the existing GP services can accept the patients this build will create surely it must be a high school as I believe lots of children within the Littleborough area have to attend high schools out of the immediate area It will bring more traffice to an area already busy It is already difficult to get a high school place locally The lake is a beautiful place and shouldn’t be over developed add another 1000 cars to that and it’ll be madness Why not use all the empty buildings in Oldham and build that back up before ruining the villages It’s great we are building more housing and building a primary school but what high school are these children in there family homes going to attend in already over populated schools there is one main one which is hollingworth high which should be schooling Milnrow and newhey children but have an increase of children from out the district coming this will only add to the probelm Living in Littleborough my entire 40 years of life I love this town (which used to be a village) even though they’re all classified as “affordable” just to appease those commuting to and from Manchester and continues to be destroyed and stretched to its limits Not to mention the impact on the local wildlife Always private developments ruining what used to be a quiet We are a rural community not a conurbation We do not need any more housing producing extra traffic Littleborough is already grid locked for several hours at both ends of the day How are the roads going to cope with all the excess traffic especially going through to the M62 at Milnrow with long tailbacks on Wildhouse Lane and Halifax Road is also jammed at rush hour Business will be negatively impacted by less people being able to come and visit The proposal to move the car park towards the rugby club also wouldn’t work as there is only a single track road to get you there creating more traffic and a safety concern for the public the already over crowded roads will take more of a toll You simply wont be able to travel by car to get to work This will then negatively impact the surrounding areas as there are only 2 roads that get you to the centre of Rochdale This will have a knock on effect making the surrounding areas even busier as well Has anyone evaluated the local traffic patterns and the resulting pollution levels The lack of infrastructure to support these new builds a country park that has been here for years A beautiful place to visit and spend time there Wonderful greenbelt countryside that people are trying to ruin and take away forever there are plenty of other brownfield areas that can be used before ruining our gorgeous countryside Old Mills and derelict houses but that would be too easy wouldn’t it Disgusted with the way the Government and companies are running this beautiful country or ours!!! The exchange between developer Kellen Homes and partners Sigma Capital Group and First Choice Homes Oldham represents the completion of the 311-home Middleton scheme Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Manx side celebrated International Women’s Day with a 56-5 win Vagabonds won big in Women’s NC2 North (South) at Ballafletcher on Saturday afternoon. They celebrated International Women’s Day with a 56-5 win against Littleborough in front of sponsor Gallagher and patron Lady Lorimer. There were four tries each from Freya Crowe and Maylyn Campbell and it’s difficult to look past either for player of the match, but it would be remiss not to mention the eye-catching performance from openside flanker Sandy Dawson who was a constant breakdown threat. Captain Leona McGovern got the scoreboard moving in the eighth minute when Littleborough were caught running out of defence. McGovern ripped the ball free and popped to Sammy Macdonald who in turn found Crowe clear on the right and her pace did the rest. On quarter of an hour, Crowe was in again. Littleborough were attacking deep in the Vagas 22 but were turned over. Commitment to attack meant there was nobody defending and, when the ball was shipped wide, Crowe lit up her burners and scorched downfield for an 85-metre try. Macdonald converted for a 12-0 lead. Between 18 and 24 minutes, Vagas hit a purple patch with three unanswered tries. Maylyn Campbell broke clear for the first and, when she was brought down short, Greeba Taisia was on her shoulder to finish. Three minutes later Taisia punched through the defence and thundered downfield. She was stopped short this time but had Crowe as back-up and she claimed her hat-trick with just over 20 minutes played. Macdonald converted for a 24-0 lead. The third came from a Jules Harrison break. She looked to be coasting in but a try-saving tackle from Littleborough’s Molly Williams denied her. From the ensuing scrum though, Vagas took the ball against the head and Campbell launched from the base to score. With the final play of the first half, Littleborough made a breakthrough. Devon Newell made the hard yards into Vagas’ 22, the ball was recycled and, after Niamh Clegg was felled just shy of the line, wing Charlotte Lever wriggled her way over the line to score and leave the half-time lead at 29-5. Any thoughts of a comeback were immediately discounted two minutes into the second half when Harrison powered through the centre channel and her offload found Campbell who went in for her second of the game. Three minutes later and Campbell was through again, this time popping to Crowe who bagged her fourth of the game. Littleborough by now were almost done, but Vagabonds weren’t and the pressure was continuous. Skipper McGovern raced in from halfway to add more misery to Littleborough’s woes. Moments later Campbell went in from close range to complete her hat-trick and two minutes from the end she added a fourth to round the day off. The two sides meet again in Rochdale next Saturday which may give a different scoreline. Littleborough’s play indicated a team which is much better than this result suggests and Vagas will find it a little tougher to win away. Tel: 01624 695695[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 By Hayley Houston · 25 February 2025 In Women’s NC2 North (South), Vagabonds take to the the road this weekend looking for their first away win in what is the rugby side’s final match of 2024. The Lancashire side have won one from three while the Ballafletcher outfit are two from four so on paper at least there isn’t too much between them. Looking at those results side by side though, Vagabonds look a little bit stronger on paper. Team-wise, Vagas look to be pretty much at full strength for the trip to Rakewood Road. There may be some positional changes in the squad but all their big players look like they’ll be available. Sophie Henry and Maylyn Campbell in particular make up a tough back row, while utility back Holly Shea was impressive against Bury in the Manx side’s last home game and looks to be getting a start in the nine jersey. Sandi Dawson will make her first start this Saturday lunchtime and the old favourites of Sammie Macdonald, Lauren Ellison and Greeba Taisia are all likely to feature too. After Saturday’s game the Manx side are back in league action on January 4 when Leigh visit the island. Littleborough v Vagabonds @ Littleborough ko 12.00pm Tel: 01624 695695[email protected]Follow us Planning applications decided with Rochdale Borough Council up to the week ending Friday By Hayley Houston · 22 October 2024 Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) Crew Manager Robert Chew has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for community work in the Birthday Honours List 2024 Robert has been recognised following his extensive community work in and around the town of Littleborough over a number of years This work has included the development of a community garden at Littleborough Community Fire Station which is frequently used by schoolchildren and older people within the area and has been recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society and Pennines in Bloom Robert has also run a football team and a drama class for young people and ran over 500 miles in 365 days to raise money for charity To mark the re-opening of Littleborough Community Fire Station in November 2023 Robert organised for primary school children from Holy Trinity St Mary’s and Littleborough Community primary schools to participate in a competition to create pictures of the station These pictures are now proudly displayed at the new and improved station for all visitors and GMFRS staff to enjoy Robert has been a firefighter in Littleborough and more recently a crew manager at Heywood Community Fire Station privileged and proud of what I am about to receive I will wear my medal on my formal uniform with immense pride “I would like to thank those around me for their help and support over the years and I will endeavour to keep on with the work I do.” “We are incredibly proud of Robert and everything he has done for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and the people of Littleborough “This is an outstanding achievement and is very much deserved given how much Robert has selflessly contributed and continues to give to his community I would like to thank Robert for his hard work and generosity over the past 18 years.” Copyright Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 2025 Times and locations of Remembrance Sunday services in the borough of Rochdale Residents and veterans gathered at the Wardle war memorial ​Events and activities are not organised by Rochdale Borough Council unless stated otherwise Neither is Rochdale Borough Council responsible for the accuracy of the information provided ask your parent/guardian before taking part in any event or activity The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Plans for a huge housing development to be built on picturesque farmland surrounding a beauty spot close to the Yorkshire border have been revealed Residents of Littleborough can now have their say on the 315-home plan by developer Bloor Homes earmarked for the land next to Hollingworth Lake Hollingworth Lake is a popular day out for thousands of people in Yorkshire every year The proposed site is part of the 'Places for Everyone' plan which aims to deliver thousands of new homes across Greater Manchester and was approved by all councils earlier this year Read more: The cleanest and safest beaches in Yorkshire and the UK mapped the site off Hollingworth Road is farmland but it could be transformed into a massive housing development if the plans are approved a tree-lined green corridor connecting Rochdale Canal to Hollingworth Lake for pedestrians and cyclists Bloor Homes has pledged that every home will be energy-efficient and equipped with electric vehicle charging points and super-fast broadband The plans also incorporate a children's play area and land allocated for a new primary school as part of the Places for Everyone allocation. This would be located on the existing Hollingworth Lake visitor car park, reports the Manchester Evening News Get all the latest and breaking news in Yorkshire by signing up to our newsletter here. A proposal to extend the visitor car park at Hollingworth Lake Country Park is also included said: "We are delighted to be bringing forward these detailed proposals for new homes in Littleborough We have given great consideration to ensure we can sensitively deliver the new homes that Rochdale Council earmarked the site for during the Places for Everyone process and we look forward to hearing what the community has to say "As a highly regarded 5-star homebuilder focussed on quality and placemaking our objective is to deliver a new neighbourhood that will have a distinctive layout with a central parkland that providing a green corridor from Rochdale Canal through to Hollingworth Lake hedgerows and planting new throughout the development." Mr Loomes further detailed the scope of the development: "Our Hollingworth Road site will provide around 315 new homes offering a range of housing types to accommodate families of all ages we are committed to providing new affordable homes as part of the new neighbourhood "We are pleased to be bringing this forward for consultation and look forward to receiving the feedback of local residents." Residents interested in learning more about the plans or wishing to participate in the public consultation can do so by visiting their website here The consultation will end at midnight on Tuesday Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Police say a woman was assaulted in Rochdale town of Littleborough I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A woman said to be affiliated with George Galloway’s Workers Party was allegedly assaulted outside a polling station in Rochdale Greater Manchester Police said officers were called to reports of an assault on Victoria Street, in the town of Littleborough, just before 11.30am on Thursday as voters headed to cast their ballots in the general election The force said in a statement: “A woman was assaulted by a male No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made.” Mr Galloway, the seven-time MP who is standing to retain the Rochdale seat he won in a February by-election, alleged: “Our female polling station attendant in Littleborough has just been brutally assaulted outside the polling station where no officer was in attendance.” A spokesperson for the Workers Party of Britain told the Manchester Evening News they are “very concerned about the assault” against the woman. “Laying hands on a campaigner, especially a woman, is entirely unacceptable, and we sincerely hope that this incident is swiftly and thoroughly addressed,” they added. The Independent has approached the Workers Party for further information. It comes just days after the party said its candidate in the West Midlands constituency of Sutton Coldfield, Wajad Burkey, was suspending his campaign after his son was allegedly attacked by a group with a baseball bat. “I have suspended my campaign as I am fearful frankly for my life,” Mr Burkey said in a statement issued by the party. West Midlands Police confirmed a man had been attacked with a baseball bat on Beaconsfield Road in the town on Sunday, the BBC reported. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday the Workers Party said: “The growing list of assaults against our members these last weeks and months expose that the lackeys of the establishment are increasingly rattled. But they will not hound us off of the streets of our hometowns.” They added: “We must stand boldly, united and steadfast in the face of political violence. And we demand justice for our comrades – an injury to one is an injury to all.” George Galloway said a woman alleged to have been assaulted was a Workers Party polling station attendant govt and politics"},{"score":0.901511,"label":"/society/crime/personal offense/assault"},{"score":0.790842,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/political parties"},{"score":0.651105,"label":"/law govt and politics/politics/elections/presidential elections"},{"score":0.577098,"label":"/law govt and politics/government/parliament"},{"score":0.52447,"label":"/law Evening Standard analysis of key seats for the July 4 General Election News | Politics Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Millions of voters will go the polls on July 4 to elect the new Government The Standard looks at key battleground seats Candidates for main parties (in alphabetical order): George Galloway – Workers Party Paul Waugh – Labour George Galloway won this seat in February 2024 after an extraordinary by-election campaign in which the Labour party withdrew support from its official candidate Azhar Ali Mr Ali had been recorded at a meeting spreading conspiracy theories about the October 7th attacks in Israel Now Labour wants to get this seat back from Mr Galloway and his Workers Party insurgency Along with the implosion of Labour’s campaign, Mr Galloway was helped in the by-election by local disaffection with main parties’ position on the conflict in Gaza Mr Galloway made this clear after the result was announced beginning his victory speech: “Keir Starmer Incomes and house prices here tend to be below the national average The seat voted Leave in the 2016 EU referendum Smallbridge & Firgrove and Wardle & West Littleborough I’m not sure if I’m in this constituency: Here’s how you can check Boundary changes impact (Thrasher and Rallings analysis): The constituency’s boundaries have contracted slightly since 2019 According to analysis by Thrasher and Rallings if the new boundaries were in place at the last election Conservatives and Liberal Democrats would have seen a small boost at the expense of Labour YouGov MRP poll prediction: Labour hold (won by Labour at last general election) Evening Standard view: Mr Galloway won this seat with a combination of intensive local campaigning lower turnout and a massive stroke of good luck with Labour’s campaign imploding He will probably lack all three this time around with a competent Labour candidate and his attention divided between Rochdale and the rest of the country where his Workers Party is standing candidates Turnout is also usually higher at general elections While Labour is widely expected to retake Rochdale their performance here will be an important test How much has the leadership’s position on Gaza permanently damaged relations with previously loyal Muslim voters Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin David Beckham extends olive branch to son Brooklyn amid 'family feud' New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications from nationalities most likely to overstay New visa crackdown as Home Office plans to restrict applications we have all the filming locations not far from Manchester that appear in The Jetty The BBC has finally released highly anticipated new crime drama The Jetty with filming locations in several areas around Lancashire and Greater Manchester a fire tears through a holiday home in a scenic Lancashire lake town Detective Ember Manning (Coleman) must work out how it connects to a podcast journalist investigating a missing persons cold case and an illicit ‘love’ triangle between a man in his twenties and two underage girls Filming in Lancashire and Greater Manchester wrapped earlier this year with locations such as Hollingworth Lake in Littleborough featuring as well as Todmorden on the West Yorkshire border here are all the filming locations not far from Manchester to look out for when you’re binging The Jetty The Lancashire lake town that is the main setting for The Jetty was mainly set and filmed at Greater Manchester’s scenic Hollingworth Lake viewers will see sweeping camerawork across the lake as the character of journalist Riz Samuel talks about the beauty of the fictional town where the drama unfolds She says: “Let me paint you a picture this place is stunning and I’m talking pain relief to the soul stunning” “You look out of the water and you feel somehow connected to everyone who has ever looked at it If you’ve ever been to Hollingworth Lake you’ll understand why this setting is the perfect place to set such a gritty drama and scenes throughout play out around the edges of the lake and the boat jetties as the detectives arrive at the scene Producers of the show said they chose the locations in the north as they wanted a “wild The Jetty‘s executive producer Elizabeth Kilgariff said: “The setting was a very changeful place There’s also something dangerous about the setting.” A fire is also alight at an old building near the lake which was all filmed inside a former Sea Cadets hut at Hollingworth Hollingworth Lake Rowing Club plays a pretty central part in an exchange between Ember and her therapist Casey The interior of the club also acts as the local pub where all the locals mingle which becomes pretty important towards the end of the series with a moody background on which to set the story Todmorden High School was used as the pretty central location of Hap School where much of the drama surrounding the students especially in the flashback scenes with Amy and Caitlin serving as a normal-looking high school that any northerner − or Brit for that matter − would recognise from their school days this large property has an estimated market value of £800,000 Hare Hill Bowling Club was also used in a pretty intense scene that just so happens to show off the gorgeous views over Littleborough and is of course pretty characteristic of these semi-rural areas was the lovely Yorkshire stone canalside Todmorden cottage that acts as Ember and daughter Hannah’s house The beautiful house is characteristic of the area and will likely leave viewers wanting to move to the Yorkshire market town (it’s under 30 mins on the train!) Although The Jetty is very much an out-in-the-sticks production the crew actually built a studio inside a Manchester building to stand in as the interior of the main police station in the drama and indeed breakthroughs in this ‘building’ and it’s just down the road from where writer creator and executive producer Cat Jones grew up Several high-intensity scenes take place at a hospital in The Jetty as Although the interior is likely purpose built the exterior used is actually that of Trafford Town Hall with its grand pillars and royal hospital-like entrance The ‘Royal Kings Hospital’ even uses Trafford’s characteristic balcony and exterior flagpoles only changing the etching on the entrance to make it into the hospital as you binge − or patiently wait for each episode to air − The Jetty see which filming locations you can pick out We’ll certainly be updating you as more inevitably come up You can watch The Jetty now on BBC iPlayer A new framework for Littleborough Station includes options for redeveloping the current Co-op site to include apartments and an increase in daytime and night-time economy offerings are fundamental aspects of a masterplan for the town drawn up by Broadway Malyan Rochdale Council voted to adopt the strategic vision for the Littleborough Station area during the council meeting on Wednesday The council hopes the supplementary planning document will lead to projects that increase footfall in the town and bring in new residents and businesses Core principles of the Littleborough Station Masterplan and SPD include improving connectivity from the rail station to the village centre Hare Hill Road would have its parking provision formalised under the framework Other ambitions include adding homes on brownfield sites reinstating street frontages to Peel Street and Victoria Street and refurbishing the existing railway arches for new uses as workspaces The SPD includes proposals for a potential redevelopment of the Co-op in Littleborough as well describing the site’s potential to have a mixture of townhouses the document is meant to guide future development in the area by providing design and accessibility principles The SPD will be used by the council’s planning officers when evaluating future planning applications for the area A brownfield site by Canal Street could be turned into homes under the framework’s vision Adoption of the SPD follows two series of consultations, the first in 2021 and the second in 2022 The second consultation exercise accrued more than 350 responses from community members That feedback was incorporated into the SPD that went before Rochdale Council The Littleborough Station Masterplan and SPD is part of the council’s wider Rail Corridor Regeneration Strategy which seeks to bring vacant land and buildings around the borough’s rail stations back into use WSP and Broadway Malyan worked alongside the council on crafting that strategic framework There isn’t the infrastructure to accommodate more housing Looks an interesting scheme but it first needs better access into and out of the village The current roads cannot handle the traffic as it is now It is already over congested with the massive number of new developments as it is I worked on Halifax Road from 1980 to 2004 and the road couldn’t handle the volume of traffic then That was before the Borough planning made it worse by narrowing and altering the road layout Great idea if the homes are affordable and the cycling infrastructure works for cyclists and is safe This is not viable or sustainable it’s a terrible plan that will completely gridlock our village Our roads get congested enough without your anti-car measures You are elected to power to serve your constituence not to roll out your own political agenda There had better be a public consultation before you spend any more money on it since WW2 as UK prosperity has increased so has car ownership and miles driven If we don’t think about the problem differently then in the next 20 years the UK economy and miles driven will grow in the UK Most of us T know that big road widening schemes only given a temporary respite so the answer has got to be finding ways to grow without growing car usage Littleborough sits right on top of the Leeds/Bradford – Manchester rail corridor so should be one of the places to take more development alongside investment in the fabric of the town The scheme would provide nine affordable homes Rochdale Council approved the developer’s proposals for 61 homes off New Street in front of a crowd of dissenting residents The council’s planning committee voted in favour of the scheme by seven votes to five Conditions attached to the approval will see Russell Homes deliver nine affordable properties on site and make financial contributions totalling almost £1m These contributions will go towards secondary school places and public realm improvements connecting the site The 8.6-acre project proved unpopular with some residents many of whom attended yesterday’s planning committee meeting to protest against the scheme Across three rounds of public consultation a total of 566 objections against the scheme were received Many of these voiced concerns about the loss of the green field site and that additional homes could put a strain on local infrastructure the council said “the proposed development would deliver 61 high-quality homes that would meet a variety of strategic housing requirements within the borough” Architect MPLS Planning & Design designed the scheme Stantec is the scheme’s planning consultant Also on the project team is landscape architect TPM Landscape transport consultant Focus Transport Planning Nearby, Russell Homes already has planning permission to build 96 homes on neighbouring land on New Road Total piss take again from Rochdale planning no consideration for the people of littleborough and it’s 12 mins walk to Smithy Bridge Station with a 20 min journey time It sounds exactly the sort of development that helps Rochdale grow with enough gardens and green space to avoid being an ecological desert These have a good chance of being houses that people will love and care for Glad to see a Planning Committee at long last not bowing to pressure from self-interested Nimby’s! The councils are looking to set up a joint planning committee to consider planning applications within the 1,600-acre Northern Gateway where 13m sq ft of employment space and 1,200 homes are projected About  Advertise  Contact According to Zoopla’s latest House Price Index Report house prices in Rochdale have risen more than anywhere else in the country Residents of Greater Manchester’s northernmost borough are laughing all the way to the bank So why have they seen such a massive increase Rochdale in general is coming out of a pound shop and betting shop funk and entering a new age of trendy shops bars and restaurants without abandoning its strong sense of community spirit has Pennine countryside on its doorstep yet is just over 20 minutes from Manchester by train The area was affected by the Boxing Day floods in 2015 and residents have displayed a great sense of resilience together ever since “Everyone is friendly,” seems to be the common quote when asked about what people are like around Littleborough Combine friendliness with an influx of independent businesses and local workshops to keep the kids busy and you’ve found yourself a well-balanced community to live and work in Yankee Heaven opened as a gift shop about seven years ago and has evolved into Littleborough’s most eclectic coffee and ice cream destination “We moved into this new site in January,” says co-owner “Near the canal for walkers and close to the village Customers are amazing – everyone’s friendly and love our ice cream at the moment.” Cryers Butchers supply most of the restaurants and cafes in the area “I bought the business five years ago and it’s a nice little community around here,” says owner We supply quite a few local cafes and restaurants and we are all proud to locally support each other “‘We also support homelessness and mental health charities We’ve actually just completed the Three Peak Challenge in aid of CALM [Campaign Against Living Miserably]” Holy Trinity Church believes that the church has a responsibility to serve the local community It holds a Youth Theatre Workshop for young people aged 9 to 19 every week (Friday) during term time – just one way in which it reaches out to young people and their families “The skills that we teach and experiences that they have will always be remembered,” said a spokesperson for the church The community-led church also hosts a Just For Girls evening once a week where local women can widen their circle of friends and interests “and just have some time to ponder on all the million things you never get time to think about because you are so busy thinking about everyone else,” said a spokesperson for the church it can sometimes feel as if everyone wants a piece of you and you begin to forget or whatever of the many hats you end up wearing in the course of a week.” Borrow books to read in the park from Littleborough Library which is situated in Hare Hill Park Choose from thousands of great books and audiobooks The library boasts a series of book clubs and activities The library is currently closed while they carry out building work and aims to reopen in mid-August. In the meantime, you can join Bookstart Bear Club at Home with Amy or join the What Are You Reading? Facebook group White Fish is a new chippy just outside Hare Hill Park which is a family-owned business serving fish and chips and homemade pies with a 30 year legacy of British takeaways including the ever-popular Mr Thomas’s at Hollingworth Lake “Littleborough is a lovely community,” says Eva who makes the pies with meat from local butchers “We see the same people every day so it’s like serving friends all the time.” Hare Hill Park is a tranquil wooded garden with a delightful walled garden at its heart From picnics in the delightful walled garden and adventures in the historic parkland to nature fun in the new natural play area there are summer memories waiting to be made around every corner Hollingworth Lake is a man-made lake built in the 19th century as the main water source for the Rochdale Canal It soon became an attraction for locals and in Victorian times was known as “The Weighvers’ Seaport” As well as the path around the lake itself (a distance of just over 2 miles) the wider country park has plenty of walking routes These range from easy strolls to sturdier treks in the surrounding hills The visitor centre has leaflets and guide books The lake is a fisherman’s dream stocked with coarse fish There’s no close season but there are restrictions on where you can fish A small hide at the southwest corner overlooks a natural area where boats and watersports are banned to help you fish Hollingworth Lake Activity Centre boasts a variety of activities and lessons lakeside at Hollingworth Lake can be galeforce windy The Olive and Pickle by the lake serve delicious homemade food all day from breakfast and brunch to afternoon tea and lunch When the sun is shining across the lake and the bi-fold doors are wide open there’s no better place to enjoy a proper freshly ground coffee and a slice of homemade cake The Wine Press is a modern British pub restaurant standing proudly overlooking Hollingworth Lake This large accessible gastropub serves a mix of traditional and modern English food You can enjoy anything from a coffee and sandwich to a three-course meal in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere Hare on the Hill is probably the smallest pub in town but what it lacks in size it makes up for in charm serving exceptional British small plates and craft cask ale the pub has just renovated its back garden terrace with three custom-built garden chalets for private dining and parties Each chalet is individually styled and comes complete with adjustable heating “The general public in Littleborough are so friendly,” says new head chef Austin Hopley who trained in Indianapolis and has worked with the Lancashire Hospitality Corporation for three years “Some customers invite me to sit with them over lunch and dinner Some have even invited me to their house for tea.” It no longer serves lobster after a rare blue lobster was delivered “We had a crisis of conscience,” continues Austin “We decided Larry shouldn’t be the only lobster saved from a grizzly fate just because of his dreamy blue coat So we are rewriting our entire menu so that no more lobsters are harmed.” read about the lobster story and made the pub a gift (pictured) who’s lived in Littleborough for over 30 years “This is without a doubt the friendliest pub I’ve ever been in,” says Steve All the staff are so helpful and friendly – Ben it’s a wonderful place and it’s becoming better and better all the time.” The Red Lion is one of the oldest and most popular pubs in Littleborough It’s a real community hub full of characters Landlord David Cocker owns the land surrounding the pub which gives him a bit of leverage when defiantly putting on local ales against the wishes of the brewery all homely but each different in character The Rake is a Mediterranean tapas restaurant that occupies a quirky listed building that  opened in the 16th century Proprietors Mark and Dawn Wickham gained experience of Mediterranean food when they lived in Italy they have renovated the add-on accommodation to the quality of a boutique hotel and have been awarded four stars by Enjoy England Holy Trinity CofE Primary School promotes positive wellbeing and aims to provide children with a safe happy and memorable learning journey and is rated either good or outstanding in every category by Ofsted Demand in the borough of Rochdale is 55% higher than the average recorded in 2019 according to the property price comparison website Zoopla Rochdale saw the highest annual price growth increasing by around 10% According to local estate agent Andrew Kelly & Associates a one-bedroom apartment in Littleborough will set you back around £125,000 This is the Place is the name of a poem by Tony Walsh commissioned by Forever Manchester the only charity that raises money to fund and support community activity across Greater Manchester So donate what you can because investing in your local community to help it thrive can be a hugely rewarding experience There’s a unique sense of satisfaction in knowing that you are making a real difference in the lives of others Did we miss something? 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Subscribe to our newsletter now We respect your privacy Have your visit to the website make a difference in Greater Manchester… The I Love MCR Foundation raises vital funds to help improve the lives and prospects of people across Greater Manchester – and we can’t do it without your help The official I Love MCR Shop not only spreads Manchester love across the world but it also helps keeps the lights on so we can support the city region Taking on a challenge? Why not fundraise for our Foundation. We’ll even throw in some merchandise to wear Raising funds for great causes is priceless Advertise online to reach millions of inspired people who are subscribed engaged and use our channels on a daily basis Regional out-of-home media makes advertising on digital billboard screens across Greater Manchester affordable Join the mobile Manchester community… iPhone Android DiscoverNews StoriesShopSubscribe Licensing Information Terms and ConditionsPrivacy PolicyMake An Editorial Complaint Charity FoundationDonateFundraise AdvertiseOut-of-Home MediaAdd a ListingAdvertising Terms and Conditions Environmental PolicyEthical PolicyPrinting MethodDelivery InformationFAQs Copyright © 2009 – 2024 I Love MCR® All Rights Reserved About  Advertise  Contact The £1.3m upgrades to the station include an increase in accommodation for staff members and state-of-the-art facilities to manage contaminants that firefighters may be exposed to at incidents Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham joined GMFRS Chief Fire Officer Dave Russel and Janet Emsley at a ceremony on Monday 6 November to mark the reopening of the station St Mary’s and Littleborough Community primary schools took part in a competition to create pictures of Littleborough fire station Pupils representing each school were invited to see the unveiling of the winning pictures “It was great to be at Littleborough Community Fire Station for the official re-opening after the refurbishment and to see the brilliant job they’ve done but the community has really rallied round it and it is the very model of a community fire station We're giving the best facilities to our firefighters and that’s exactly what we should be doing but we're supporting them with facilities fit for the future so they can go out there and serve their local communities Everyone in Greater Manchester is backing our firefighters “The anticipation for the reopening of Littleborough has been building in recent months and seeing the reality of this transformation is something I’m immensely proud of The station has been subject to a major overhaul thanks to a big investment in our staff Littleborough crews have been stationed at Rochdale Community Fire Station whilst the work has been carried out and although they’ve continued their community engagement work in Littleborough I know they are eager to return to their renewed station.”Dave Russel The developments in Littleborough form part of GMFRS’s 16-year Estates Improvements Programme which saw £38m announced by the Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester in July 2021 for the first phase of the programme Along with the refurbishments at Littleborough the first phase of the programme will see brand new stations built in Blackley Smaller scale upgrades are also being made to stations across the city-region as part of a station refresh programme For further information about the programme, visit: Estates Improvement Programme (internal webpage) Countryside and Together will deliver 126 homes on the former AkzoNobel factory site The developer and housing association have acquired the former Azko Nobel site from Homes England having secured permission for its redevelopment into 126 homes Rochdale Council granted Countryside Partnerships and Together Housing Group planning consent for the Littleborough residential scheme earlier this year Countryside – then Vistry Partnerships – was originally selected by Homes England to build the development in 2021 The 19-acre site has long been earmarked for housing and is allocated for redevelopment in the emerging Places for Everyone plan managing director of Countryside Partnerships Yorkshire said: “It is fantastic to complete the purchase of this site and to begin delivering a development that will completely transform this part of Rochdale “We have worked closely with Homes England and Together Housing to bring forward the proposals and by using the strengths and choice of Vistry Group we can also utilise the Bovis Homes brand for the first time in this region delivering a mix of quality new homes that will appeal to a wide range of customers.”  drawing a line under 15 years of failed attempts to redevelop the site Homes England acquired the plot for £10m in 2017 stepping in following three unsuccessful attempts to build homes there The first was in 2005 when housebuilder Bellway Homes withdrew its plans to develop 280 units on the site due to contamination fears Woodford Group’s proposals for 164 homes in 2006 did not progress either Countryside Properties was granted planning permission for a 174-home development The application for the current 126-home project was submitted by Barton Willmore Golby & Luck is the landscape architect for the scheme while Pell Frischmann is transport consultant Eastwood & Partners is advising on drainage and FES on acoustics Countryside Partnerships will be investing nearly £700,000 into the local community the majority of which will go into local education provision and outdoor sports provision Northern development director of Homes England said the scheme will “bring the site back into meaningful use 16 years since the closure of the former Akzo Nobel works” “We look forward to seeing this mixed tenure scheme coming forward and will continue to work in partnership with Countryside to support housing delivery on the site.”  It is expected that work will commence this summer with the first homes available in 2024 Homes England was advised by Trowers & Hamlins Rather than residential I believe that site would have been safer developed as small industrial or cottage industry stepping stone type units Providing jobs for the too many residential property occupiers More of our countryside and wildlife destroyed Complete lack of understanding what the community needs And how will access be given into yhis new housing development It has just taken me 20 mins in traffic coming down that road from the lake to littleborough Has anyone thought about the impact of cars for 126 houses considering households usually have more than 1 car these days “More of our countryside and wildlife destroyed” Fairly loose definition of ‘countryside and wildlife’ given the site formerly housed chemical works Proposals to enhance Littleborough centre are set to go out to public consultation after being considered by the council’s overview and scrutiny committee particularly around key sites like the railway station while retaining Littleborough’s distinctive character and village feel The proposals include the redevelopment of brownfield land for a small number of new homes and the refurbishment of the railway arches and disused buildings for new commercial uses The council is also looking to make improvements to the public realm and the town centre conservation area The plans are outlined in a draft supplementary planning document (SPD) This sets out development principles for an area and is taken into taken into consideration whenever planning applications are submitted in the future Having an SPD in place also makes it easier for the council to attract external funding to help drive regeneration “Littleborough is a vibrant part of our borough with a very unique feel, but its proximity to the railway line is a huge asset which gives it the potential to be even better,” said Councillor John Blundell, Rochdale Borough Council “These proposals will help us support existing businesses repurpose empty premises for new business use and create housing opportunities on brownfield sites “All of these will bring new investment into the area “These proposals are at their very early stages and no decisions have been made as yet “Our next step is to undertake a six week consultation with residents and businesses to gauge their views.” The consultation on the Littleborough SPD can be accessed at: rochdale.gov.uk/consultations It will run until midnight on 14th November Public consultation events will also be taking place at Hare Hill House Littleborough from 5pm to 7pm on Monday 18th October and Thursday 21st October The proposals are part of the council’s rail strategy which seeks to enhance Rochdale’s abundant transport links by creating new homes and employment space around the borough’s five railway stations An SPD has already been adopted for Rochdale station with the council hoping to create a brand new public square in front of the train station enhanced park and ride provision and new employment and housing in the area You can view and read the rail strategy here What’s the story? We are all ears when it comes to positive news and inspiring stories. You can send story ideas to [email protected] For anything else, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us about advertorials (from £350+VAT) and advertising opportunities: [email protected] Led by the Environment Agency in partnership with Rochdale Council the new scheme features a range of measures to reduce the risk of flooding across Rochdale and Littleborough including a new flood storage area at Gale as well as raised walls and improvements to culverts and bridges in areas including Greenvale Brook The approved plans incorporate the first phase of a three-step process that has been developed to create what will eventually become one of the largest and most complex inland flood risk management schemes in the north of England the Rochdale and Littleborough Flood Alleviation Scheme will improve flood protection for 1,000 residential properties and 200 local businesses as well as major infrastructure such as the tram network a grid substation and the waste water treatment works Proposed works for the Phase 1a planning application are set to include defences at various locations in Littleborough the replacement of Riverstone Bridge and the widening of the river channel at the same location as well as the removal of Charles Street Bridge and temporary access works into the Gale site to allow it to be turned into a flood storage reservoir Works will also combine the permanent diversion of Greenvale Brook at Gale East and a culvert extension within the same site Rochdale Borough Council’s planning department consulted with a large number of customers and stakeholders before making the recommendation to grant planning permission on Friday 8th May Approval for the scheme was granted subject to the discharge of a series of planning conditions prior to commencement of actual construction related works Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager for the Environment Agency said: “Rochdale and Littleborough residents have been waiting for a number of years for increased flood protection in their community Those who still live with the trauma of the Boxing Day 2015 flood event and more recent instances of flooding during Storm Ciara and Dennis should not be made to wait any longer than necessary get these flood defences in place We are therefore delighted that the planning authority has now approved the plans for the first phase of the Rochdale and Littleborough Flood Alleviation Scheme “This is great news for the area as it will allow us to better protect hundreds of homes and businesses while also bringing improved environmental and economic benefits to the areas We look forward to additional progress on the ground in the coming months and will continue to keep residents and businesses affected by our work informed about the scheme at every stage of its development Community drop in events for Riverstone Bridge will restart once it is safe to do so as and when coronavirus restrictions are lifted.” cabinet member for environment at Rochdale Borough Council said: “It’s great to see this vital scheme taking a major step forward We saw first-hand the devastation caused by the Boxing day floods in 2015 and have been working hand in hand with the Environment Agency to protect our communities and businesses from the impact of any future floods “We’ve already completed a number of important projects with the Environment Agency including the construction of new storage reservoirs at Calder Brook This scheme is one of the largest flood defence projects in the North West with the potential to protect 1,000 residential properties and 200 businesses It will help protect many of our residents and businesses at significant risk of future flooding and provide important infrastructure to support our economic growth.” and prioritising pedestrians are among the council’s priorities for the village’s station-led regeneration Littleborough is one of five stations whose surrounding land was earmarked for development in a 15-year vision published by the council last year Rochdale Council wants to deliver 7,000 new homes and 2.6m sq ft of employment space along the Calder Valley rail corridor over the next two decades A draft strategic framework for Castleton station was launched in the summer and now the council is seeking public feedback on proposals for the land around Littleborough station and Mills Hill stations are the others in line for redevelopment The Littleborough proposals include delivering high density residential developments close to the station repurposing disused buildings and railway arches and improving the gateway to the village for visitors and commuters by giving pedestrians priority Increased car parking also features in the plans in a bid to take cars off streets A new village heart could be established with priority given to pedestrians The council also wants to define a “village heart” centred around the junction of Church Street and Hare Hill Road By revamping the area around Littleborough station Rochdale Council hopes to attract a “young professional demographic” The draft supplementary planning document for the village states: “The regeneration and improvement of Littleborough Railway Station and the surrounding land and buildings represents a strategic priority for the council to attract new residents and businesses to the area and to capitalise and support further development and improvements to the rail network.”  The purpose of the SPD is to provide a land use strategy for the Littleborough Station area to guide future development The consultation on the SPD is open and will run until 21 November Rochdale Council is working with GM Stations Alliance – a newly established partnership between the council LCR Property and Transport for Greater Manchester – as well as consultancies Broadway Malyan High density resi is planned close to the station Nice little town surrounded by amazing countryside Pegasus and Turley are on the professional team The housebuilder’s plans for 199 homes off Smithy Bridge Road have now been lodged with Rochdale Council Taylor Wimpey’s submission comes as the local authority opens its own consultation on a draft Littleborough masterplan and supplementary planning document In July, Place North West reported that Taylor Wimpey’s planning consultant Turley had lodged a screening report as part of the pre-planning process The firm is also working with Pegasus on the design of the scheme The 35-acre site sits west of Smithy Bridge Road a key route between the A58 Halifax Road and the popular Hollingworth Lake The site is included as a draft allocation in Greater Manchester’s Places for Everyone plan Plans include 112 three-bedroom homes and 67 four-bedroom homes along with eight two-bedroom homes and 12 five-bedroom The application also covers the construction of the first phase of a link road between Smithy Bridge Road and Albert Royds Street senior strategic land and planning manager at Taylor Wimpey said: “There is a growing need for high-quality family homes all over the country with Rochdale seeing a particular demand for this type of housing will make a valuable contribution to both national and local housing need – providing new homes,” Edwards said The application has been lodged on behalf of Taylor Wimpey the housebuilder expects to get on site in mid-2024 with the first houses occupied in 2025 and the scheme built out by the end of 2028 As for the Littleborough consultation, now available to view online cabinet member for economy and regeneration said: “We have set out several key aims to improve the area to make connectivity better and to support people with options for living and working “We now hope that residents will play a part in how we progress these plans by giving the council their valued opinion so we can move forward to the satisfaction of everyone.” The masterplan also aims to make Littleborough more attractive by creating an improved railway station gateway with new tree planting and improved provision for cycling The consultation is running until 7 December The local infrastructure cannot take any more houses unless schools It’s getting silly that all green spaces are being used up in areas where services are already so stretched Councilor Blundell and Taylor Wimpey need to take note of the 609 objections posted back in 2019 while infrastructure in the Borough continues to worsen and increased decent through social media from residents vent their frustrations but hey money is on the take for the council the absent landowner (NZ) and Taylor Wimpey I personally will loose an allotmwnt that we have enjoyed for 20 years It will only cause more traffic jams in and out of Littleborough with no full relief road in sight for the years of mayhem to come The infrastruture in this area cannot support any further large developments we have gridlocked roads,over full schools and health facilities Public transport is available but under used due to lengthy delays and missing services Everything that makes this area a desirable place to live is being built on