Regent Mill, an industrial complex on St James Street in Heywood, is set to be demolished as part of the town's wider regeneration. Rochdale Council, which is carrying out the demolition, says the move could unlock plans to build around 200 new homes in the area.
Plans for affordable homes
The council expects the new homes to be more affordable, though no timeline for construction has been set. Once the former tile merchant building is levelled, it will facilitate housing schemes that link into Heywood's ongoing regeneration.
Recent improvements already completed include a new Heywood Civic and a makeover of Peine Square outside it. Around £20 million of government Pride in Place funding is currently being spent, with grant applications for local businesses expected to open soon, bringing further cash directly to local organisations.
Council's vision for the area
Coun Danny Meredith, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The demolition of Regent Mill is part of the wider regeneration of this part of Heywood, as part of our masterplan. This will see us work with partners to transform brownfield sites around the town centre into new, high-quality, much-needed social homes for local people.
“Over time, we hope to bring forward more than 200 homes on and around the Regent Mill area. So where we now have empty sites, which are not visually appealing, we will have fantastic new homes to help address our housing shortage and give the whole area a lift.
“We have already seen considerable regeneration within Heywood town centre and this project will continue this redevelopment and further support local families.”
Highway safety concerns
Highways teams have raised concerns about the demolition work, noting that recent demolitions of properties in the area 'have caused damage to highways surfaces causing significant risk to pedestrians'. Planning papers describe how the council intends to fence off the demolition site, including debris netting and site signage, to protect pedestrians and the roads.
