Housebuilder agrees purchase of former school on 11-acre brownfield site

Lancashire housebuilder, Rowland, has agreed the purchase of the former South Chadderton School on Butterworth Lane, from Oldham Council, with the aim of building 149 homes.
The 11-acre site will provide two- and three-bedroom semis/mews and three- and four-bedroom detached properties, including 60 affordable homes.
The land is in a highly sustainable location, situated close to a number of local services and amenities.
It offers convenient access to Greater Manchester and beyond being close to the M60 J.21 and just 800m from Hollinwood Metrolink.
Leyland-based Rowland will shortly submit a planning application and permission is anticipated to be approved during 2025, said the firm.
Jonathan Pickthall, Land Director at Rowland, said: “We are very pleased to have agreed the purchase of another site in Greater Manchester.
“Chadderton is a desirable location for families and commuters, with easy access to the Metrolink and motorway.
“Our technical and planning teams have worked hard to design a scheme that unlocks this brownfield site and we are excited about developing a quality canal-side development that is sustainable in all aspects.”
Kieran Mclaughlin and Will Atherton, of CBRE, advised Oldham Council on the land sale. Asteer Planning is advising Rowland on the planning application and IGE Consulting is providing Geo-environmental engineering advice.
Rowland has built homes throughout the North West, covering Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria, Cheshire, and North Wales.
The firm currently operates across nine sites in The North West, from Greater Manchester to Cumbria, building more than 300 properties a year. In 2024 it reported £84.6m in gross revenue.