Langley Newsletter

8/13/2019 Langley Newsletter

1/8

March 2011

Transformingneighbourhoods toimprove lives

EARLY

PROGRESS

see page 3

BIG

CHANGES

see page 4

Bownessshops

newlook

HMR

TO END

see page 2


2/8p 2 Changingl FrvrMarch 2011

hMR to end,But tRansFoRMation

should continueHMR to end, but transformation should continue

The Housing Market Renewal funding for Oldham and

Rochdale, and other parts of the country came to an end at

the end of March.

Since 2004 HMR has invested more than 200 million

across the two boroughs, attracting millions more in

investment by developer and housing association partners.

In Langley more than 14 million has been spent, buying

houses and various other properties, clearing sites as wellenhancing the environment.

We have made very good progress towards transforming

our neighbourhoods, in the face of extremely challenging

economic conditions. But the work is not yet complete.

The announcement that funding is ending presents huge

challenges for the future. Whilst we have made good

progress, there is much that still needs to be done. Despite

the cuts in Council budgets that need to be made for the

coming year, Rochdale Council has identied some funds

to carry out some of this outstanding work in Langley. In

the coming year around 1 million will allow us to get somehousing development started and fund clearance and

preparation for more new homes.

Funds are no longer available to support a dedicated

Sustainable Communities team for Langley. Area Director

Steve Bloomer will continue to work on Langley for the

time being and support will also be available through the

Middleton Township Team.

This also means that this is the last edition of the

Changing Langley Forever newsletter, but thats not to

say there wont be opportunities to provide information in

the future, and Riverside will continue to produce

The Vision.

We would like to thank the tenants and residents of

Langley for their continued support and co-operation.

We are extremely proud of what has been achieved in

Langley over the past few years and we hope that other

sources of funding will be available ion the future to ensure

that the estate continues to thrive. We will continue to

manage and maintain the sites that are in our ownership

and work will continue to attract a developer to build new

housing on Langley in the future.

c

Steve Bloomer, Area Director Council Ofces, Sadler

Street, Middleton, M24 5UJ

t(10706) 923128 m [email protected].


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er rr

The progress that Housing

Market Renewal has made

to transform Langley has been

part of wider efforts by manypartners. In this nal edition

of Changing Langley Forever

we take a look back at how

Langley has changed.

In the early years, much of what we did was aimed

at making the neighbourhood look more attractive.

Almost 700 homes had their boundaries improved with

a combination of brick-built garden walls and railings

replacing hedges and wooden fences. Using different

colours and styles gave streets their own unique identity.

Taking cars of the roads eased access around Langley,

making it safer for drivers and pedestrians. Front gardenparking spaces, and making other spaces available made

a big difference. At the same time, ginnel gating made

hundreds of properties more secure, helping to reduce

crime and anti social behaviour.

Housing Market Renewal allowed us to buy sites across

Langley where new development is anticipated. We

bought and cleared the ats on Helvellyn, as well as the

Cardinals Hat and Sporting Falcon sites.

Before After

Before After

Changingl FrvrMarch 2011 p 3



deMolition BRingsBig changes

Martindale

Some of the demolition Housing Market Renewal has

carried out in Langley has been really eye-catching

none more so than the clearance of the Three Sisters last

year. Pulling the empty buildings apart from the top down

made a huge difference to the landscape of the estateand created an attractive site for future development.

But they werent the only buildings that have gone.

Twenty four ats on Rothay Drive, ve empty cottage

ats that had been an eyesore for several years, and the

former Langley primary school have created potential

sites where new homes could appear in the future.

Rothay pre and post demolition

Most recently, buying the former Langley library, community centre and former Methodist

church at Martindale Crescent creates a development site close to Bowlee Park primary school

and the link to Bowlee playing elds.

Langley ats


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new hoMes appeaR(with moreto follow)Bringing a bigger choice of high quality new homes

for Langley was one of the biggest aims of the project,and the homes that have been completed are certainly

striking and attractive additions.

Built to replace the tower blocks, Riverside Housings

developments at Millbeck Gardens and Rydal Gardens

on Wood Street were built with support from housing

market renewal, funding landscaping around the

buildings and providing advice on making the homes

environmentally-friendly.

Developers Lovell are providing 50 family homes atWindermere Park with funding from the Kickstart

initiative, providing a mix of homes for rent, sale and

shared ownership.

Photographs from top:

Millbeck ice

Aerial Rydal Gardens before and after

Lovell Development



Bowness Roadshops lose theiRFlats and gain aBRighteR lookTaking the top two levels off the shops on Bowness Road

was the challenge faced by engineers from Rochdale

Council and the Impact Partnership. Residents in the ats

above the shops were helped to nd new homes, and

the work began in January.

As part of the Housing Market Renewal plans for the

neighbourhood the project is now successfully complete.

A complex structure of scaffolding covered the building,

and stood up very well to the worst of the winter weather.

After the demolition of the ats, which took great care to

protect the shop premises below, the builders put a new

pitched roof on the premises.

While the demolition work was being carried out, each

of the shops closed for a short time to allow contractors

to carry out the work safely, though it was possible to

ensure the Bowness Pharmacy could stay open through

the works. The shops have now re-opened in their

revamped premises, giving a welcome boost to this

corner of the estate.


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Bowlee linkBRings BigchangesWith its attractive landscaping and the recent addition

of modern, well equipped childrens play areas, its easyto forget that before Housing Market Renewal, the land

alongside Bowlee primary school used to be a neglected

wasteland.

The project in 2006 transformed it into a popular link

through to Bowlee Community Park.

Pupils at the school worked with an artist to create the

designs for the eye-catching steel totem pole marking the

entrance. Dozens of mature trees planted at the time are

now becoming well established.

The Link Corridor is just one feature of how HousingMarket Renewal has helped to improve the environment

for Langley. Transforming the area is about more than just

bricks and mortar this is just one example of how we

were able to create an area that everyone can enjoy.

And having an appealing environment will help to attract

developers to build on the sites for new homes around

Langley. The buildings around Martindale Crescent are

now cleared to create the latest site where new homes

could appear in the future.

tRuFFet paRk langleys gReenFlag jewelAlongside the Housing Market Renewal investment in

Langley, big changes for the better have been made to

Langleys very own Green Flag park.

Truffet Park on Bowness Road now boasts a fantasticchildrens play area, new ood lighting, public toilets and

improved access for disabled visitors at the bowling

pavilion. All this has helped to win the park its Green Flag,

which it has retained for a second year.

The park also offers tennis courts, a sensory garden,

a wetland area and nature trails. Now that spring has

arrived the whole of the park is starting to come into

bloom.

Much of the success of the park is the result of the

dedicated Friends of Truffet Park group, who meetregularly to plan events and activities for the park. If you

would like to get more actively involved, why not call into

the Bowling Pavilion to nd out more information about

the group.


8/8

The progress we have made through

Housing Market Renewal would not

have been possible without involving

local people throughout. Thats why

at every stage its been important to

make sure you had your say on what

changes were being made.

And what you said made a big

difference. One important issue was

the poor quality of the environment

locally, with many under-used and

poorly managed open spaces. As a

result our Green Space Strategy set

out plans to improve these spaces

over time.

Alongside this, consultation events

took place across the estate. More

than 400 people took the chance to

make their views clear. More than

two thirds of the responses we got

were in favour of proposals, but at

the same time the views of people

who werent happy were taken into

account. We made changes to the

plans, scaling back the number

of houses that were likely to be

demolished.

Over the last few years, the Langley

team has arranged many community

events across the estate that have

helped to bring people together to

nd out information about making

the most of services, to hear the

latest on new developments and

also to have fun. Lots of the events

were an opportunity for local groups

to perform, and for people to nd

out about the voluntary groups that

contribute so much to Langleys

community.

Supporting local groups has also

been an important job for the Langley

HMR team. Weve been able to help

local organisations to win funding

from Neighbourhood Renewal and

the Safer Stronger Communities

Fund, making a big difference to

everyone who lives here.

krrfr l

rBuilding work to improve pedestrianaccess to Langley was helped along

by a constant supply of hot cups of

tea, and biscuits, from Lee Street

resident Margaret Spooner.

During the upheaval Miss Spooner

has brewed more than a hundred

cuppas, looking after the workmen

from Jackson, Jackson & Sons who

have carried out the work as part

of the Housing Market Renewal

transformation on the estate.

And just around the corner, where the

ginnel between Bonscale Crescent

and Langley Lane has been widened,

neighbour Celia Kay looked after the

contractors throughout the work.

So as a thank you, staff from the

Langley team and Jackson & Jackson

visited Miss Spooner and Mrs Kay to

present them with a box of tea and

biscuits.

The improvements at Lee Street and

Bonscale Crescent will allow easier

access for pedestrians and cyclists.

At the ginnel between Bonscale

Crescent and Langley Lane, the

old walls have been replaced with

attractive brick-built ones featuring

colourful tiles. The ginnel is wider,

creating a safer, more welcoming

environment.

Fr mr frmplease contact

Steve Bloomer, Angela Forster, Katie Fletcher

or Michelle Walton at the Council ofces,

Fountain Street, Middleton M24 1AF

Tel: 01706 923137

or visit .mrmr..

p 8 Changing l Frvr March 2011

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01706 923137

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