Five-Flat Plan for Buckley Street Turned Down

Plans to build five new apartments on Buckley Street, Uppermill, have been refused after councillors agreed with objectors that the scheme would amount to overdevelopment.

Wiggett Construction asked Oldham Council for permission to erect a three-storey block containing five flats on a gap between existing terraced houses.

The site lies within the Saddleworth Conservation Area, and officers said the contemporary design would be “visually intrusive” and out of keeping with the traditional stone terraces on both sides.

A report to the planning committee said the proposal was “overbearing” and would harm the character of the area.

No private parking spaces were included in the application. HNA Architects, acting for the developer, argued that the slope of the land made off-street parking impossible and pointed to nearby bus services as evidence of sustainability.

They added: “With only five units, any additional demand for on-street parking will be minimal.”

The claim was met with derision by residents, who told the council that Buckley Street is already “at bursting point”.

One parent wrote: “Pushing a pram along the pavement is difficult; children are forced into the road where vans reverse blindly.”

Another objector joked: “Only a future Tour-de-France champion would swap their car for a bike on this hill.”

Members of Saddleworth and Lees district executive sided with the objectors and rejected the application on grounds of design and overdevelopment, while noting the separate concerns over parking pressure.

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