Welcome
This consultation invites you to explore and comment on our proposed masterplan for the land at Stakehill.
The development will be accessed via the former ‘All in One’ Garden Centre off Rochdale Road, and will deliver around 1,300 high quality, much needed new homes, a local centre, areas of public open space, landscaping, ecological features, land for St John’s Thornham CE Primary School extension, drainage features and linkages.
This website presents the proposals to date and provides you with an opportunity to make comments on the scheme.
Once this process is concluded, an updated planning application will be submitted to Rochdale Council.
About Us
Barratt Homes is part of Barratt Redrow plc, the UK’s largest housebuilder. The company is committed to building high-quality, energy-efficient homes and creating sustainable communities across Britain. Barratt Homes has been awarded the maximum 5-star rating for customer satisfaction by the Home Builders Federation for 17 consecutive years - more than any other major national housebuilder.
At Barratt, we understand that building homes is about much more than bricks and mortar. It’s about building communities, meeting the housing needs of local people, and respecting and enhancing the surrounding environment.
We understand the importance of creating well-connected spaces and amenities for all. The Site and our proposals would respond to these priorities through the delivery of high quality, attractive new homes, surrounded by open spaces that will be available for everyone to enjoy. The proposals will provide much needed housing in a location earmarked for development.
We are excited about our scheme at the land at Stakehill and the opportunity it presents to deliver circa. 1,300 new homes offering a range of house types and tenures to create a balanced and vibrant development through the use of positive placemaking principles.
The Site
The land at Stakehill covers approximately 88 hectares and is currently made up of predominantly agricultural fields associated with Hewhey and Thornfields farms. The site sits within a well-connected part of Rochdale bounded by the M62 motorway to the north, the A627 to the east, agricultural land to the south and existing residential development to the west.
The site lies within Flood Zone 1, though there are localised pockets of surface water. Outside the site boundary to the south sit two Grade II listed assets, the St John Thornham Church and Thornham Parish War Memorial. Whilst there are no Tree Preservation Orders on site, there are numerous Public Rights of Way that cross the land. The agricultural land within the site is classified as grade 4 (poor quality). The site lies within the Manchester Pennine Fringe National Character Area and also falls within a ‘Mineral Safeguarding Area’.
Vehicle and pedestrian access to the Site can be achieved from several points, including Thornham Lane, Thornham New Road, and Church Avenue. A pedestrian/ cycle point of connection is available at Newhey Farm.
Constraints Plan
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Planning Background
In June 2023 Redrow submitted a hybrid planning application (ref. 23/00650/HYBR) seeking:
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Full planning permission for 233 dwellings and associated works
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Outline permission for up to 1,147 dwellings plus land for a primary school extension, a local centre, a multi-use games area (MUGA) and associated works.
Following the merger between Barratt and Redrow, Barratt Homes (Manchester) [Barratt] has taken over this live hybrid application and is now the named applicant.
Given the passage of time, Barratt has taken the opportunity to carry out further technical work to inform a revised scheme which will be submitted to Rochdale Council in Autumn 2026. Since the original application was submitted the land has become formally allocated under Policy JP Allocation 2 “Stakehill” with the adoption of the Places for Everyone (March 2024).
Barratt’s application relates to the northern part of the allocation, not the entire allocation.
Planning Policy
The Places for Everyone Joint Plan 2022-2039 [PfE] forms part of Rochdale’s Development Plan and is the long-term strategic planning framework for Greater Manchester.
PfE allocates the site as part of a wider allocation for mixed use development under allocation ref. JPA2 which is considered to be one of the most important strategic allocations within Rochdale to meet identified housing need.
Barratt’s demise forms the northern part of the allocation, on land north of Slattocks Link Road. PfE Policy JP Allocation 2 ‘Stakehill’ states that development at the Site will be required to meet a number of criteria. By way of an overview, the allocation as a whole is required to:
Stakehill Allocation
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Deliver 150,000 sqm of high quality industrial and warehousing floorspace
Achieve excellent design and sustainability through masterplanning
Protect archaeological
features
Make provision for compensatory improvements to the remaining Green Belt
Make provision for new and improved sustainable transport infrastructure
Ensure that existing settlements and pockets of housing are taken fully into account through masterplanning
Carry out a project specific habitats regulation assessment
Incorporate noise and air quality mitigation to take account of the M62 and the A627 (M) motorway corridors
Provide up to 1,680 high quality homes including affordable housing
Consider relevant heritage assets
and their settings
Have regard to views from Tandle Hill Country Park to the east
Strengthen the boundaries
of the Green Belt
Improve access arrangements in and around Stakehill Industrial Estate
Deliver high quality landscaping and green and blue infrastructure
Make financial contributions for offsite additional primary and secondary provision, and delivery land to accommodate the expansion of Thornham St John’s Primary School
Consider the extraction of any viable mineral resources within Minerals Safeguarding Areas
To reiterate, the criteria mentioned above applies to the allocation as a whole not just the element subject to Barratt’s application. The proposed development will consider all policy considerations within Rochdale’s Development Plan including the Core Strategy (2016), and saved UDP Policies (2006).
The Proposed Development
In the context of PfE Policy JPA 2 ‘Stakehill’ allocation and following the findings of the technical work being carried out to understand the Site’s constraints, Barratt’s intention is to submit a revised scheme to Rochdale Council for their consideration.
The overarching vision for the site is to create a new garden neighbourhood with its own identity and good local facilities to meet the everyday needs of residents as the community grows over time. The site will:
Deliver high quality homes
The proposals will create a new residential neighbourhood and self-sustaining community, offering a wide range of housing typologies and tenures enhancing sustainability.
Create places to relax and play
The proposals will provide access to a significant amount of POS, sports and recreation opportunities, within easy reach of new homes across the site and will provide numerous places for recreation and informal play.
Promote a landscape-led approach
Stakehill will be a mixed-use development with high quality design and will provide a series of well-integrated public open space. The scheme will follow a landscape-led approach in order to deliver a new community which sits seamlessly within its existing context whilst offering new opportunities for leisure, recreation and improved well-being.
Deliver around 1,300 new homes across a mix of tenures which will include affordable provision.
Sketch Masterplan
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Key Benefits
Market and Affordable Housing
The proposals will make a significant contribution to Rochdale’s housing supply, delivering approximately 1,300 new homes. This will include a carefully considered mix of dwelling types, incorporating 15% affordable homes.
All homes will be designed to a high-standard and will address local needs.
Have your say
Barratt is working towards the submission of a revised planning application to Rochdale Council in Autumn 2026. Rochdale Council will provide you with another opportunity for you to formally comment on the development proposals. The revised submission will also be supported by updated technical assessments to demonstrate the suitability of the scheme.
We welcome your comments on the scheme here:
