FIRST Choice Homes Oldham is searching for brownfield sites for new homes.
The housing provider aims to build hundreds of new houses over the next five years, as well as commercial developments to fund core housing activities.
“Brownfield” of course covers once-developed sites now ripe for redevelopment, and removes eyesore plots and derelict buildings while avoiding the furore often created over plans for virgin or green belt land.
First Choice’s ambitions could be complemented by the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, a joint plan by the 10 boroughs within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to manage the supply of land for new homes and employment sites up to 2035.
A formal consultation on the framework’s first draft ran between October 2016 and this January. In Oldham, the plan proposes over 13,000 new homes and 700,000 square metres of land for new factories and warehouses.
First Choice wants to be the biggest house builder in Oldham, offering new homes for rent, shared ownership or sale.
Its development team of Dave Woods, Robbie Mannion, Lynsey Clark and Philip Jones is currently working on planning applications for sites in Werneth, Derker, Moorside, Royton, Chadderton, Lees, Bardsley and Failsworth, and is actively looking for owners and developers to contact them with others. The organisation is also interested in Oldham town centre sites and locations along the Metrolink tram network.
Dave, who is the Homes and Investment Director, said: “We are interested in land of all sizes. Some of our smallest developments are for two units, while others are much larger.
“Oldham has great potential, partly because of its location between Manchester and Leeds, its much improved transport connections and the urgent need for new homes.
“We think First Choice Homes is placed to be at the centre of Oldham’s development – and our board supports this aspiration.
“At the moment we have firm plans for 200 new homes, and Homes and Community Agency grant-funding for 180 units on eight sites – mainly rent-to-buy properties.
“These will give people the opportunity to rent for up to five years, after which they can buy. The homes are aimed at people in work who haven’t owned their home before, because they can’t afford the deposit or get a mortgage.”
The housing shortage, says Robbie Mannion, isn’t a London crisis but a national crisis.
“In Oldham 97 per cent of property is currently occupied, a picture repeated across Greater Manchester.”
First Choice Homes works with the government-linked Homes and Community Agency, which makes house and business premises available and regulates social housing, and Innovation Chain North West on larger schemes – the latter a network for construction contractors and service companies on housing and infrastructure projects.
First Choice works across different types of developments – including joint ventures and Section 106 planning opportunities, where planning regulations require affordable homes to be included in larger commercial developments.
Dave (49) has been with First Choice for four years and has responsibility for all of the built environment activity. He previously worked in Liverpool, but started his career has a plumber and gas engineer.
Robbie Mannion is assistant director for assets and investment. The 53 year old has been with First Choice for two years, having previously worked for housing groups in Manchester and Knowsley.
Robbie began working life as a joiner and today is the National Housing Federation’s north-west development group chairman and an ambassador for the National Apprenticeship Service.
Other team members include development manager Lynsey Clark (32), a qualified architect experienced in new-build projects, whose work includes tenures and land, and working with developers and builders and their subcontractors.
Philip Jones is a senior project delivery manager, whose work includes looking at the potential for modular construction techniques to speed-up house construction.
Philip also has experience of new-build, on the back of a degree in construction and project management.
First Choice is also promoting the wide spectrum of career opportunities across the construction industry to schools and colleges.
For the full report, see the latest edition of Oldham Business Edge magazine.
