Approval for huge plans for ‘new town'

Proposals include 1,550 homes, shops and a school

- BY GEORGE LYTHGOE Local Democracy reporter

CGI of how the Sinister Bowlee development site could look and (inset) an overview of the planned site Rochdale council/Sinister Bowlee Development Framework document

A NEW vision will effectively create a new town on the border of Rochdale and Bury, after town hall chiefs signed off 1,550 houses, shops, transport links and a school.

The massive development near the M60 has been earmarked for a large chunk of land between Simister and Bowlee.

As reported in Saturday's Observer, town hall bosses from both Rochdale and Bury are pushing through a draft development framework for the 98-hectare site to the east and west of Heywood Old Road (A6045).

This would define the strategy for how the development would fit into the current road and transport network as well as connect to other neighbourhoods locally.