Developer lodges plans for ‘high quality’ apartment block in town centre

A developer has lodged plans for a ‘high quality’ apartment block in neighbouring Heywood town centre.

The four-storey building would be built on vacant brownfield land between Earl Street, Taylor Street and Bethel Street.

Described as ‘attractive’ and ‘well-designed’ the proposal would bring 23 new homes to the area – including 15 one-bedroom and eight two-bed apartments.

However, none of the flats would be affordable, as the developer Agron Elezi argues it would not be financially viable.

Mr Elezi has previously been at the centre of controversy in connection with two homes he built on vacant land in Halewood, Merseyside.

Planning permission was granted in 2012 on the grounds Mr Elezi would pay £4,000 towards improvements to a local park as part of a ‘section 106’ agreement.

As The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported last year, Knowsley council was forced to issue a final demand in 2019, before then registering the debt as a land charge as it chased the outstanding money.

Eventually the authority agreed a repayment plan with Mr Elezi to allow him to repay the debt in instalments.

The LDRS this week contacted Mr Elezi about the plans for Heywood and whether the people could be assured there would not be a similar issue.

The Manchester-based developer said he was ‘confident’ there would not be any problems in relation to the application and he could meet any conditions that may be imposed.

Documents submitted in support of the application claim the proposal would ‘bring a lot of public benefit’ and provide a ‘positive contribution’ to Heywood town centre.

A design and access statement says the planning application has been ‘carefully prepared’ to create a scheme ‘which is sensitive to the character’ of the wider area.

“We feel that the proposal would be a valuable addition to the area by providing high quality and well-designed apartments in Heywood’s Town Centre,” it states.

“The site was designed to consciously address security, privacy, accessibility and to create an architecturally interesting façade to contribute to the Earl Street, Taylor Street and Bethel Street street-scenes.”

Further plus points of developing the 427 sq m site are said to be ‘increased foot fall within the town centre and nearby retail shops’.

It is also claimed that the new development would ‘contribute positively to the local economy and retail’ while also attracting ‘development and refurbishments in the surrounding area’.

There will be no car parking spaces for residents, as the developer believes these are ‘redundant’ with bus stops just ‘a short walking distance’ away.

However, the development will include cycle storage for every apartment, ‘enforcing the agenda for sustainable transport within the town centre’.

Planning permission granted for a 14-apartment scheme at the same site has since expired.

Rochdale council will decide on whether to approve the current application.

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