Oldham: Apartment block of 15 flats for homeless proposed

The plan, submitted by the applicant, Jigsaw Homes Tameside, outlines constructing a part single two-storey building on Foundry Street where the former Pennine Way Hotel and Belgrade Hotel once stood.

The building would have 15 one-bedroom supported living apartments and come with communal facilities, ancillary staff, parking and garden areas.

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A planning statement submitted by Eden Planning and Development Ltd on behalf of the applicant outlines how Jigsaw Homes Tameside provides homes and ancillary spaces to provide care and support for people who are at risk of homelessness.

The 0.33-hectare plot on Foundry Street has been identified as an "ideal" location for a provision, which would help young people aged between 18 and 25 access a home on affordable rent and on a shorter-term basis compared to the properties available within the mainstream housing market.

The site also comes with existing car access, which formerly served the hotel, and would provide four on-site parking spaces for staff and visitors to the development, including one accessible space and one with an EV charging point.

The hotel was demolished to make way for the Metrolink construction which Eden says makes the plans "highly sustainable" as future occupiers live close to the own centre and near a handful of bus and tram stops.

There is also a cafe, church, college buildings and Co-op Funeralcare nearby. 

The development would sit near the church (Image: Google Maps)

The proposal also outlines the apartment blocks would have grassy open spaces to wrap around the buildings, with landscaping of native scrubs, wildflowers and trees, and a terraced area.

The ground floor would contain the first seven units while the first floor would contain the remaining eight, as well as an ancillary office and two communal areas.

A secure cycle store is also outlined to provide space for 16 bicycles. 

In its assessment, Eden said the development would help meet local housing need for Oldham and stressed a need to increase the number of affordable rental properties to address the high rate of homelessness in the borough.

As well as providing accommodation, Jigsaw Homes promises to offer personalised support to occupiers to help them develop the skills necessary to become independent.

This includes helping them with independent living skills, finance and budgeting, relationships and support networks, personal interests and hobbies, community connections, employment, education, training and volunteering and physical and mental health.

The development emphasises enabling residents to transition from the supported living spaces into long-term housing and although each apartment will be self-contained with no shared living spaces, they will enjoy access to treatment rooms and communal amenity areas.

An assessment of the security of the apartments claims the proximity of staff facilities to the entrance, together with 24-hour-a-day staff on a rota, means the site will be "naturally surveyed at all times".

The documents further argued the layout creates a "defensible space" which "preserves privacy and minimises the risk of crime and antisocial behaviour" while the landscaping makes the development "socially cohesive and less attractive to offenders".

Eden added: "It is well designed and has a strong sense of place."

As for the heritage of the site, the land does not sit within a conservation area though a Grade II listed church, the Church of Our Lady and St Patrick, sits opposite on John Street.

Eden said the "attractively designed" development would have a "slight positive effect" on the setting of the listed building.

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