Demolition plans for six blocks of flats are refused

CONTROVERSIAL plans to demolish six empty blocks of flats on a housing estate in Rochdale have been thrown out.

- BY GEORGE LYTHGOE

Pictures show the Lower Falinge estate in Rochdale

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) wants to regenerate the Lower Falinge estate and has determined bulldozing buildings is the only affordable option.

The maisonette blocks earmarked for the wrecking ball include Ollerton, Newstead, Romsey, Quinton, Ullesthorpe, and Vaynor containing 126 homes in total.

Despite getting prior notification approval for demolition earlier this year, a legal challenge from local campaigners saw demolition grind to a halt.

This legal success for the ‘Save Lower Falinge’ meant Rochdale council had to reassess RBH's planning application.

Planning officers at the council have since determined that prior approval is needed and refused the prior notification application.

RBH will have to submit a more detailed demolition plan to the local authority if they want to push forward with bulldozing the site.

A prior approval application will allow the council to assess environmental impacts, demolition methods, and post-demolition site restoration plans.

The Lower Falinge housing estate - which has been undergoing redevelopment for years - was named the most deprived area in England for the fifth successive year back in 2013.

Campaigners, who launched the legal challenge, explained how the demolition next to their homes would be a huge disruption to their lives, impact on their human rights and how it failed to properly consider environmental impact assessments.

The lawyers representing the campaigners, Cornerstone Barristers, described RBH’s actions as ‘salami slicing’ - where developers split up a project amongst separate planning applications which, on their own, do not constitute a major development.