An 11-acre plot – home of the former South Chadderton School – has been purchased by Rowland.
The site on Butterworth Lane, which borders Rochdale Canal and Whitegate End Primary School, is currently just a field.
But it was once home to South Chadderton School, which hit the headlines in 2007, when a penned diary of abuse suffered by teachers and pupils at the hands of a number of children at the school, was published by a teaching union.
Collective Spirit School moved into the site in 2013 but closed down three years later when it was placed into ‘special measures’ by Ofsted.
Chadderton South School later became Oasis academy, which has since moved to Hollinwood and recently achieved a ‘good’ Ofsted rating.
The new plans for 149 homes comprising two and three-bedroom semis/mews and three and four-bedroom detached properties, will include 60 affordable homes.
The scheme will provide a cycleway and pedestrian links to the Rochdale Canal through a new public open space on site. Planning permission is anticipated to be approved during 2025.
Jonathan Pickthall, land director at Rowland, said: “We are very pleased to have agreed the purchase of another site in Greater Manchester. Chadderton is a desirable location for families and commuters, with easy access to the Metrolink and motorway. Our technical and planning teams have worked hard to design a scheme that unlocks this brownfield site and we are excited about developing a quality canal side development that is sustainable in all aspects”.
Kieran Mclaughlin and Will Atherton of CBRE advised Oldham Council on the land sale.
Asteer Planning is advising Rowland on the planning application and IGE Consulting is providing Geo-environmental engineering advice.
