An apartment block of affordable family homes has reached its full height as the development inches closer to completion.

The West Vale development on Manchester Street in Coldhurst has officially reached its highest point.

The local housing association, First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO), is working with Caddick Construction to build the "contemporary" and sustainable project to meet local housing need.

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Now, the seven-storey apartment block has reached its full height.

Once complete, the 25m tall building will comprise 62 one and two-bedroom homes, all for affordable rent.

Also planned in the £21m scheme are 26 two, three and four-bedroom family homes for shared ownership, earmarked to help people get on the housing ladder at an affordable price.

To support occupiers to save money, all homes will be off gas and have a high energy performance rating, using the latest low carbon technologies including air source heat pumps and additional insulation which exceeds building regulations requirements. 

Plans for the West Vale site include landscaped green spaces and a recreational zone with a dedicated play area for the younger children in the neighbourhood. 

The project is on track to be completed by winter 2024 and comes as part of FCHO's ambitious strategy to deliver 1,100 high-quality, sustainable homes in Oldham and the surrounding areas between 2020-2026.

Anne McLoughlin, chief executive (interim) at FCHO came on-site with Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council cabinet member for housing and licensing and Sohida Banu, manager of Affordable Housing Growth at Homes England, to mark the milestone.

Peter Carroll, contracts manager, and Damien Saxon, apprentice engineer, both from Caddick Construction, also joined the meeting to celebrate the progress of the project.

Ms McLoughlin said: “I am delighted to see our plans for the neighbourhood becoming a reality and reaching this milestone is a terrific opportunity to celebrate the progress we are making here at West Vale.

“Community is at the heart of the development, and we have worked hard to design a scheme that will help increase supply of genuinely affordable homes, offer a mix of houses and flats to suit different people and families and set the bar for high standards of energy efficiency to benefit residents in years to come.”

Paul Dodsworth, managing director at Caddick Construction Group also said: “Celebrating this milestone gives us the opportunity to reflect on the huge success of the build so far.

"Between our experienced construction team and our extensive local supply chain partners, we are making excellent progress, as we safely reach half-way point of the delivery programme.

"Our appointment to build this fantastic scheme for FCHO was made possible through our partnership with the Innovation Chain North Framework.

“Our positive impact on the community has been at the forefront throughout.

"Not only are we bringing these much-needed, affordable homes to the local area but we’ve already exceeded some of our social value pledges with nearly 100 new jobs created, three student placements on-site this far, £5,000 donated to local community projects and £4,000 to poverty prevention initiatives.”

Cllr Taylor also called the development "fantastic" and said it will bring "much-needed new homes to the borough."

She continued: "We’re in a housing crisis and every new home will change someone’s life for the better.

“There’s a great mix of properties to suit a wide range of people’s needs – which is exactly what we need in Oldham.

“I’m also pleased to see how sustainable they are.

"Future residents can enjoy lower energy bills and less impact on the environment – something that is a real priority for us as a council.

“I look forward to seeing West Vale continue to develop and create a vibrant new neighbourhood.”

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