Electronic gates add to site fears

BEHIND bars . . . Residents’ association chairman, David McNeeney, and secretary, Mike Rooke, with other residents at the locked gates at Fletcher’s mill

BEMUSED residents say a set of electronic gates at the entrance to the former Fletcher’s paper mill are adding to the secrecy surrounding the site’s future.

The gates bar vehicles from getting through — but pedestrians can still use a small gate at the side for access to the public footpath, off Chew Valley Road, Greenfield.

The gates follow a planning application for an individually-designed, five-bedroom, five-bathroom house with terrace and two-car garage.

The plans may conflict with the Oldham Beyond report which identified the mill site as an ideal place for an outdoor activities, leisure or holiday use.

Mike Rooke, secretary of the Greenfield and Grasscroft Residents’ Association, said: “Local people are naturally concerned.

“The borough’s Local Development Framework confirms the vision expressed in the Oldham Beyond report that the former factory be used for leisure and tourist facilities near the popular beauty spot of Dovestone Reservoir.

“However, it is now feared that the owner is seeking to develop the site for private housing.”

The sprawling paper mill site, parts of which date back to the 18th century, closed in 2001. The land is divided between two companies — White Oak and Hollow Oak.

There have been a series of successful planning applications to convert existing homes in the site to holiday lets and a plan for a gastro pub. Now, applicants Hollow Oak have used a Cheshire architect’s practice to draw up the latest plans, plus a tree, wildlife and bat survey.

In their application the architects say: “All the land is now under separate ownership. The owners are now in the process of actively seeking new tenants and uses for many of their empty buildings.

“This proposal is part of the ongoing regeneration of the area by the applicants for both the benefit of themselves and the community of Greenfield.

“Failure to enable the re-use of these vacant buildings will lead to the area stagnating and slowly looking more run-down.”

Oldham Council confirmed that there was no need for a planning application to erect the gates.