We’ve invested £27m and delivered 137 new, green homes in the past 12 months

Our Development Strategy has continued to help us build more great homes we are proud of and improve lives over the past twelve months. We’ve invested £27m and delivered137 new, mixed tenure homes in the financial year 2022/23 and commenced with 320 starts on site.

Standing us in good stead as we moved into the new financial year, in March we had 329 new homes under construction across eleven sites and we are on track to complete 186 homes in 2023/24, along with commencing with 169 starts on site.

These high-quality new homes move us closer achieving our ambitious target to build 1,100 low carbon homes in Oldham and surrounding areas 2020-2026 to help tackle the shortage of affordable housing locally.

New homes handed over between April 2022 and March 2023 comprise one and two bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom family homes across the Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside boroughs

Of these, 116 homes were for affordable rent, and 21 were for shared ownership to make home ownership possible for more people.

Over the year we also stepped up our work to deliver more highly energy efficient homes in line with our Sustainability Strategy and goals in our Big Plan, helping customers to minimise their environmental impact and keep running costs down.

Projects include our first modular scheme at Stephenson Street in Waterhead,  and 16 low carbon one bedroom apartments at High Barn Phase Two in Royton. At our Cherry Avenue development in the Alt neighbourhood we completed 38 two and three bedroom family homes designed to be 15% more energy efficient than Building Regulations require. Customers who have moved into homes there are benefitting from increased ground floor and loft insulation, plus triple glazing among other measures to help them save energy and money into the future.

In addition to completed schemes, eight sites got underway in Oldham, Rochdale and Kirklees.

Through Section 106 agreements we are working with Kellen Homes to bring forward 45 family houses at Mill Vale in Middleton, Rochdale, and with Persimmon Homes to build 50 family properties at its 250-home Castle View development in Kirklees.

In Oldham, work began on six four-bedroom homes at Flint Street, Derker; 30 one and two-bedroom apartments at Shaw Street and 14 two and three bedroom homes at Radcliffe Street, both in Royton. Down the road in Failsworth 18 three and four bedroom homes started on site at Hughes Close, Failsworth.

In Rochdale, there were spades in the ground at Rochdale Road East, Heywood, where we’re building 40 one and two-bedroom apartments, and Oldham Road, Middleton, where 16 two, three and four bedroom homes are in progress.

To help achieve our planned growth, we have partnered with a number of contractors and developers including Robwood Construction, J Walker Homes, House Crowd Developments, Tyson Construction, KMM Homes, MultiBuild UK, Friday Club Developments, Challenger Building Services, Caddick Construction, Elan Homes, Persimmon Homes, Kellen Homes and Lancet Homes.

Joel Owen, our Director of Development, said: “Homes completed over the past twelve months and those which started on site are part of our ongoing significant investment in creating new, sustainable affordable homes in Oldham and surrounding areas.

“As in many other areas of the country, demand for affordable housing locally outstrips supply and high house prices and lack of affordable options mean many buyers struggle to make their first step on to the housing ladder. We are building a variety of property types and offering a choice of tenures to meet housing need and make home ownership possible for more people and I’d like to thank our partners for their continued support.

“Looking to 2023/24 and beyond we want to continue our strong performance and are keen to acquire land, land-led package deals and Section 106 units and form partnerships with housebuilders, developers, contractors, local authorities or other registered providers to help us make a bigger difference.”

Email development@fcho.co.uk to see how we can work together.