Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) to deliver Station Gardens, a transformational housing development set to create 81 new homes on a key brownfield gateway site near Rochdale town centre.
The project will revitalise the extensive site near Drake Street, located on the doorstep of Rochdale railway station. The area has remained vacant for several years but is considered a strategic gateway into the borough.
The development will feature two, three, and four-bedroom homes available in a mix of tenures, including social and affordable housing. The properties will be the first net zero homes delivered as part of a housing scheme supported by the council, with completion expected in early 2028.
The project has been enabled by a successful bid to the government’s Community Regeneration Partnerships Fund and forms part of the council’s rail corridor strategy, which aims to rejuvenate the areas around Rochdale’s five railway stations by creating new homes on brownfield sites.
Michael Poole-Sutherland, Director for the North West at Willmott Dixon: “We’re extremely proud to play our part in the continued regeneration of Rochdale in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council and Rochdale Development Agency.
“We share Rochdale Borough Council and RDA’s passion for ensuring Station Gardens leaves a lasting legacy in this community. As part of this, we will create employment opportunities for local people who have been long-term unemployed and will be engaging with both T-Level and apprentice students at Hopwood Hall College, Rochdale Sixth Form and Hollingworth High School, offering 180 weeks of training throughout the project.”
Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council: “It’s great to finally break ground on this site, as we’ve been working hard to move this project forward, following an unsuccessful funding bid to the previous government. We kept at it and were delighted to recently receive the money from the community regeneration partnership, which has enabled us to get going. These new homes will be a fantastic addition to this area, transforming a site which has been empty for years into a thriving new neighbourhood which will be built to the highest environmental standards.”
The development is also part of the wider regeneration of the area around Rochdale railway station, which involves the creation of a new public square in front of the station and 33 new apartments on a brownfield site on the corner of Maclure Road and Station Road, whose construction is set to start in early 2026.
The project is being delivered by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council, with Willmott Dixon acting as main contractor.
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