Key Points
- However, Rochdale council’s planning committee has once again deferred making a decision on Wain Homes’ plans for 45 homes located behind Greenvale in Bamford.
- It is part of a wider project for 450 houses on former green belt land west of Norden Road.
- According to the council members, the project requires a thorough report outlining how drainage can be handled on the proposed site.
- The council originally deferred making a decision about the project in August due to drainage information and lack of a masterplan for the wider development.
- Lisa Bailey, who objected to the development, claims that the land used to have flooding problems and has “seasonally wet ground”.
- According to a member of Save Bamford Greenbelt, United Utilities was asking for a comprehensive drainage plan.
- The planning agent for Wain Homes, Stephen Harris, claims that there was a flood risk management assessment for the project, and the developer was ready to start construction as soon as it is approved.
- The vote about deferral took place on October 22.
Rochdale (Manchester Mirror) October 24, 2026 — Rochdale Council’s planning committee has delayed for a second time its decision on the first phase of a proposed 450-home development in Bamford, after councillors said they remained unsatisfied with the drainage information submitted by Wain Homes.
The committee was considering the housebuilder’s application for 45 homes on land behind Greenvale, to the west of Norden Road. The proposal is the first part of a larger scheme expected to bring 450 homes to land that was previously designated as green belt.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, councillors had already postponed their decision in August, citing insufficient detail about how the developer intended to deal with longstanding drainage problems. They also said the absence of a comprehensive masterplan for the wider development made it difficult to reach a conclusion.
At a further meeting on October 22, members concluded that their earlier requests had not been adequately met. The committee voted to defer the application once more and asked Wain Homes to provide a comprehensive report explaining how drainage would be managed across the site.
Why have councillors delayed the Rochdale housing scheme?
Councillors said the central issue was drainage. Coun Stephen Anstee said he had not previously seen a planning application with as many as 18 conditions, including one relating to drainage, and indicated that the proposal was not yet ready for approval.
Objector Lisa Bailey told the committee that the site had experienced flooding in the past and was characterised by “seasonally wet ground”. She also said infrastructure and access issues remained unresolved.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Bailey said:
“We understand this land will be developed, but the focus should be on how it will be developed. Otherwise, we risk ending up with a fragmented development.”
A representative from the Save Bamford Greenbelt group also told the meeting that United Utilities was seeking a detailed drainage plan.
What did Wain Homes tell the committee?
Planning agent Stephen Harris told councillors that a flood risk management assessment was included in the application. He said other developers planning the remaining homes within the wider 450-home scheme had assured Wain Homes that the first-phase proposal would not hinder the broader development.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Harris said:
“They have no concerns regarding how our plan is progressing. This is the initial piece of the puzzle in the larger development. This will play a crucial role in Rochdale’s housing allocation in the coming years. Further delays could jeopardise the council’s land supply—development is essential.”
Harris added that Wain Homes could begin construction as soon as it received planning approval.
He also said the company’s legal team believed it was not required to provide further information, but that Wain Homes had chosen to submit a “masterplan statement”. Council officials said that statement “didn’t significantly enhance” the application, according to discussion at the meeting.
What did councillors say about the application?
Coun Shakil Ahmed, chair of Rochdale Council’s planning committee, said local people wanted certainty about what was happening on the site. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, he said:
“People want to be completely certain about what is happening here. It appears we are essentially back to where we started.”
Coun Carol Wardle questioned the lack of additional drainage information. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, she said:
“You are implying ‘we are Wain Homes and we don’t need to listen.’ We are the planning committee, and when we request something, it should be provided.”
The committee’s decision means the application has not been approved or refused. It will return to a future planning committee meeting once the requested drainage report has been considered.
What is planned for the wider Bamford site?
The wider scheme is expected to include 450 homes on former green belt land that contains playing fields and sports facilities. The land was removed from the green belt following the adoption of Greater Manchester’s strategic housing plan, Places for Everyone.
A new clubhouse for Bridge FC and upgraded sports pitches are anticipated as benefits of the overall project. However, the first-phase application before councillors concerns only Wain Homes’ proposed 45 homes.
Rochdale Borough Council’s planning guidance says new development is expected to take an integrated approach to water management, including flood risk, water supply, water quality and climate resilience. Its local plan policy also requires appropriate flood risk assessments and drainage strategies for relevant developments.
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s development framework for the Bamford/Norden allocation identifies the site as capable of delivering around 450 homes and states that surface-water run-off rates should not exceed existing greenfield rates. It also refers to a sustainable drainage network as part of the site’s development approach.
Background of the development
The Bamford site was previously green belt land but was released for development under Places for Everyone, Greater Manchester’s strategic plan for housing and employment land. The wider allocation is intended to deliver about 450 homes, alongside improved sports facilities including a new Bridge FC clubhouse and upgraded pitches.
Wain Homes’ application for 45 homes behind Greenvale is the first phase of that wider proposal. The council’s planning committee first deferred it in August after objectors raised historic flooding concerns and councillors questioned the lack of an overall masterplan for the full 450-home site.
At that earlier meeting, Coun Tom Besford expressed concern that separate applications could lead to “piecemeal development”, with each developer providing only the minimum benefits for its own plot. As reported by I Love Manchester, he feared that the combined benefits of the wider scheme might not be delivered if the site was developed in fragments.
Rochdale Council’s own planning policy evidence highlights that the borough has experienced significant flooding in the past, including during Storm Eva in 2015, and says climate change is expected to increase flood risk in the borough.
Prediction: How could this affect Bamford residents?
For Bamford residents, the latest delay means no immediate decision on the first 45 homes, leaving continued uncertainty over construction timing, local traffic, access arrangements and drainage impacts. The committee’s request for a fuller drainage report suggests that flood management will remain a decisive issue when the application returns.
If Wain Homes provides the requested information and the committee accepts it, the first phase could progress towards approval, potentially enabling construction to begin and bringing the wider 450-home scheme closer to delivery. That could eventually provide the promised sports improvements, but it would also increase pressure on local roads and infrastructure.
If the drainage report does not satisfy councillors, further deferral is possible. For residents and campaign groups, the decision will determine whether the council considers the flood-risk and masterplanning concerns sufficiently resolved before allowing the first phase of the development to proceed.
