Hathershaw & Fitton Hill
2005–2007

Date
2005–2007

Name Of Project
Hathershaw & Fitton Hill

Client’s Name
Oldham NDC and Oldham
Metropolitan Borough Council

Category
Urban | Living

A masterplan to provide new housing, employment, retail and community facilities and open space and to deliver transformational change. 

A comprehensive plan provides a framework for the scale of change envisaged for two neighbourhoods, with a history of social deprivation and conflicts, and will guide future development based on the principles of sustainable communities.

“These innovative proposals will transform the area to become a key gateway site, providing much needed new housing, as well as offices, shops and better open space facilities”

– Councillor David Hibbert, Cabinet member for Environment and Regeneration.

Fluid’s consultation led approach enabled the delivery of a vision that was fully owned by the local community and which addressed deep-seated fears over change.

The masterplan resulted out of a process of delicate negotiation, of sharing ideas and understandings about the role of the masterplan and the need for change, versus the need to retain local heritage, the benefits of making better connections versus entrenched ‘ghettos’ and the potential for mixed use to blur boundaries.

The Mills provided the perfect opportunity for accommodating a mix of uses whilst protecting their employment role.

The final masterplan included a marketing strategy for the area; a development brief for the Triangle site, the single largest private development site in Oldham; site identification and support for a Neighbourhood Centre; a development brief for 485 houses on the green belt edge; housing renewal strategies; a short and long tern vision for the historic Mills; a public realm and greening strategy to create linked and active social centres and safer & attractive routes and an environmental strategy to reduce the impact of a major arterial route planned for the area.