Hundreds of new homes will be built in a town already on the brink of capacity
17:55, 28 Nov 2025Updated 17:43, 30 Nov 2025
Sign welcoming people into Littleborough(Image: LDRS)
On the edge of Greater Manchester sits the small town of Littleborough, which boasts picturesque countryside, stunning views and a beautiful lake.
Given you can jump on a train and be in Manchester city centre in 20 minutes, the Rochdalian town offers rural living with the joy of a quick commute. But Littleborough’s major drawback becomes apparent when you try to drive out during rush hour.
Being bumper to bumper in snaking traffic is not a worry for locals during peak times, it’s an expectation.
So when plans for hundreds more homes on former green belt land were touted five years ago, residents were up in arms. Half a decade later the proposal for 309 homes just off Hollingworth Road, a notorious traffic hotspot, has now been approved.
You can’t blame developer Bloor Homes for wanting to invest in the town, given its many positive attributes, but locals have had enough. Littleborough Lakeside councillor Richard Jackson described the approved plans as ‘profit over people’ and ‘milking the Littleborough cash cow’.
Land off Hollingworth Road primed for housing(Image: LDRS)
Speaking in opposition to the plans at the Rochdale council planning committee meeting this week, he explained how people regularly describe Littleborough as follows: ‘lovely place, but wouldn’t want to live there with all the traffic’.
Coun Jackson and his fellow ward councillors Tom Besford and Janet Emsley have been fervently against this since the beginning. They all voted against the Greater Manchester-wide Places for Everyone (PfE) plan last year, which took the parcel of land out of the green belt allocation – losing its protected status.
The Manchester Evening News went down to the bank of Hollingworth Lake in Littleborough, just opposite where the new homes are planned, to get an understanding of people’s views. Coun Jackson was poignantly accurate with his statement.
Ann and Andrew Bowker were taking their pet pooch Rocco for a lakeside stroll when they stopped to chat about housing.
Ann and Andrew Bowker, with dog Rocco(Image: LDRS)
“There is only one road in and one road out,” Andrew explained, looking over the Lane Bank stretch of road. “The traffic is bad enough now and this will build things up even more.
“A lot of roadworks come on these roads and it jams up continuously. There is already a housing estate being built, and okay they’re nice, but you’re going to have one hell of an estate when they come together.
“This is Littleborough, it’s a beautiful place and I know they want to build houses, but my answer is no to these new homes.
“If there was another road, then okay maybe, but they’re not planning another road currently, so it’s just stupid.”
Ann Bowker added: “We’re lacking school places and it’s difficult to get doctors appointments.
“No matter what people say, the powers that be tend to override them. I feel we don’t get a say, we’re at the mercy of developers.
“This one they’re building currently at the old chemical works, people complained about that but they got it over the line in the end.
“If we didn’t have family here we’d probably move away because of the traffic.”
Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough(Image: LDRS)
The bulk of concerns raised by over 1,000 local residents in opposition to the latest plans include the worsening of congested roads at capacity; too many homes already in the town; exacerbated traffic pollution; and local health infrastructure on the brink of capacity.
The major point of contention is clearly the traffic problem. Rich Oddy was walking Toby the black Labrador back from their regular jaunt in the country park when he made his case.
The 50-year-old said: “Littleborough and the surrounding area have constant roadworks going on and the traffic is just murder. You’ve got Lake Bank road and Halifax Road coming from the other side, it is just murder.
“Thankfully I don’t have to drive up this way too much myself but I’ve walked past it backed up so far. I live in Milnrow and sometimes it’s just as bad there, but it gets really bad here for traffic.
Rich Oddy, 50, with Toby the black Lab(Image: LDRS)
“Will a few hundred more houses make a difference? It will probably will make it busier, but it’s bad anyway. I’m not sure where another relief road can go.
“It’s difficult because we need more homes. So it’s about where you put them and how you put the infrastructure around it to accommodate the extra footfall.”
A relief road for the A58 has long been touted for the traffic blighted town, with developers even making a financial contribution of £970,000 that would go towards the development of this. However, there are still no concrete plans to actually build the road that locals have been waiting two decades for.
More houses are not seen as the enemy by most in the town. Pensioner Stephen, who has been in the area for most of his life, wants to see better road infrastructure to support new homes and the massive amounts of traffic the town gets in summer.
Hollingworth Lake, Littleborough(Image: LDRS)
Thousands of people descend on the country park and Hollingworth Lake in the warmer months, which Stephen fears could die down if traffic becomes too problematic.
The 68-year-old added: “I don’t have a problem with the houses, but the road into Littleborough is horrendous, we need better infrastructure first.
“You can get trapped in Littleborough if you travel at peak times. In summer you see all the cars queued up.
“It’s not nice to see because this is a nice place.”
CGI of Bloor Homes 309-home housing development next to Hollingworth Lake in Littleborough(Image: Bloor Homes)
A new primary school and an extended Hollingworth Road Car Park are also part of the mammoth scheme in the beloved part of the Rochdale borough. Alongside this, a new park and a tree-lined ‘green corridor’ linking Rochdale Canal to Hollingworth Lake with a circular footpath network are also planned by Bloor Homes.
The developer’s representative at the planning meeting on November 27, design and technical director Steve MacPherson, added that the £1m allocated for the primary school could be used for another car park extension, if the new school is not needed by the council.
Coun Jackson has described the ‘unnecessary’ primary school plans as ‘absurd’, saying these new homes would actually bring increased secondary school students. This brings a different problem because secondary school places are currently oversubscribed, he told the committee.
He pointed out the irony in plans to build an unneeded primary school on a car park, then using green belt land off Rakewood Road to build a bigger car park.
Hollingworth Road Car Park in Littleborough(Image: LDRS)
The primary school proposal has only gained outline permission, but it would be up to the council to decide whether the education facility would actually be built. There have been questions raised over whether the new school is actually needed, with the Pennines Township committee saying that plan is based on out-of-date information from over 15 years ago.
Speaking just before plans were approved, James Clark, managing director for Bloor Homes said: “Bloor Homes would like to extend sincere gratitude to the community, council officers, and consultees who have helped shape our final plans for this exciting new development.
“Their feedback has been instrumental in developing a scheme that will both contribute essential new housing to assist Rochdale’s housing needs, whilst also bringing benefits to the local community through financial support for new secondary education provision, improvements to local highways, and investment in local green spaces.
CGI of Bloor Homes 309-home housing development next to Hollingworth Lake in Littleborough(Image: Bloor Homes)
“We are pleased to introduce Littleborough’s first four-bedroom affordable homes, as part of the 47 affordable homes planned for the site. This initiative directly addresses the needs and feedback expressed by local residents.
“Rochdale Borough Council’s planning officers recommendation for approval reflects Bloor Homes’ dedication to quality, place making, and long-term benefit for Littleborough and Rochdale. It exemplifies how responsible development can strengthen communities, deliver high quality design and enhance the surrounding environment in a sympathetic manner.
“We are very much looking forward to delivering this development, which will undoubtedly be a flagship scheme for the region.”