Developers look to future of mill site
Date published: 19 August 2008
The sprawling Robert Fletcher paper mill site in Greenfield could be used for housing, leisure and commercial buildings, if developers get their way.
The 17-acre site is the last major employment zone in Saddleworth, and is next to tourist attractions at Dovestone Reservoir and the Peak District National Park
It is in a picturesque valley, with Chew Brook running through it.
The historic mill, which manufactured cigarette papers and closed in 2001, is now owned by Isle of Man developers, Whiteoak Ltd.
The company instructed specialist architects, Latham’s of Derby — which has carried out heritage assessments in Oldham’s Housing Market Renewal areas — to draw up a draft masterplan. First talks have already been held with Oldham Council.
But it will not be the Centre-Parcs style family holiday and activity centre suggested in the Oldham Beyond report.
Whiteoak spokesman John Taylor said: “The council is not going to fund a feasibility study and unless someone else is going to buy the site I think that was just a suggestion.
“We would like a mixed use for the site of leisure, residential and commercial development.
“Some parts will be retained but the majority will be demolished.
“There are monumental buildings on site including three huge raw material warehouses which could not be used for anything else.”
The site covers 17 acres and parts of the mill date back to 1790, confirmed by a date stones taken from the original mill which burned down in 1794, he said.
The plans are for the industrial part of the site — another company, Hollowoak, has already secured various planning permissions for residential buildings and wants to develop a gastro pub on the fringes of the site.
But it will be towards the end of the year before there will be public consultation and a chance to look at the Whiteoak plans or artists’ impressions.
Mr Taylor said: “In order to launch a major plan you have to go through public consultation and Latham’s will do that on our behalf.
“They have had a first meeting with the council.”
Last year there were major concerns about contamination on the site, and the Environment Agency supervised a clean up.
Stephen Taylor, the Agency’s Regulatory Officer, said: “We can confirm that we are fully satisfied that the site has been cleared in accordance with Environment Agency’s requirements, and that all formerly identified pollution risks have been removed from the site.
“Our most recent inspection of Chew Brook confirms that the water quality is of a satisfactory standard also.”
Council regeneration office John Mitchell said: “We have been in discussion on various occasions with the owners. The council’s aspirations for the site have been made clear within a number of documents including the Oldham Beyond report and the Unitary Development Plan.
“We would like to see a leisure and employment based development which reflects the unique nature of the area. We understand the owners have appointed consultants who hopefully are preparing plans in line with our general ideas.”
Ward Councillor John McCann said: “This is the last big possible site for a major sporting centre. It abuts the peak park, and what we don’t want is lots of little housing estates all over the valley.
“The development should be coherent as a whole so that everyone in Oldham, particularly Saddleworth people, benefit.”
