On Air Now

The Graveyard Shift

10:00pm - Midnight

Now Playing

Tori Amos

Happy Phantom

Listen Live Watch

Blocks of flats to be built at former care home site

Wednesday, 17 December 2025 16:29

By Chris Gee

Blocks of flats to be built at former care home site

Blocks of flats are to be built on a former care home site after planning permission was approved.

The former Spurr House site on Pole Lane, Unsworth, Bury, will be transformed into two blocks containing 60 flats. The site is bounded by Unsworth Cricket and Tennis Club and Unsworth Academy.

The current vacant single storey building,  which previously operated as a care home will be demolished. Gillian Warden from developer Watson Homes addressed a meeting of Bury’s planning committee in support of the plans.

She said: “The proposal re-purposes a brownfield site delivering 60 new, affordable homes in a highly sustainable location. “The site is previously developed within the urban area and is close to shops, schools and public transport.

“The development will deliver one and two-bed affordable homes for social rent and rent to buy. “The scheme has been carefully deigned as two apartment blocks of three and four storeys, stepping in height and set back appropriately from Pole Lane and and surrounding properties.”

The will be 60 car parking space provided at the flats. The committee heard that the development would require the removal of 16 trees, four groups of trees and the partial removal of one group.

The remaining 23 individual trees and eight groups of trees would be retained.
The apartment blocks will have an ‘L’ shaped arrangement with one three-storey block of 23 flats fronting Pole Lane.

The second block would be four storeys in height at the rear of the site alongside the parking court and would have 37 homes. The committee heard there had been 32 objections received to the plans which included the removal of established trees, limited local facilities and that services are already stretched.

One objection, said: “An influx of new residents on this scale would place significant additional pressure on essential resources, making it harder for existing residents to access appointments and local amenities.”

The committee unanimously approved the plans.

Share

Donate to Roch Valley Radio

 

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something happening in our Borough?

Let us know by emailing newsdesk@rochvalleyradio.com

All contact will be treated in confidence.

More from Local News

Comments

Add a comment

Log in to the club or enter your details below.

Donate to Roch Valley Radio

 

Recently Played

Newsletter

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

   

Coming up next On Air

  • The Graveyard Shift

    10:00pm - Midnight

    with Gemma Johnson, as she explores the strange, unusual and down right spooky. Featuring a midnight ghost story from the darkest depths of the graveyard.

  • After Hours

    Midnight - 2:00am

    For the night owls, night workers and everyone still going while the rest of the town sleeps. Music, chat and company after dark.

  • Wide Awake Club

    2:00am - 5:00am

    For those who find themselves awake at 3am more often than they’d like. Calm music, understanding voices and quiet company.

  • Up Before the Alarm

    5:00am - 7:00am

    for early starters, commuters and anyone already on their second brew. Livelier music and new voices warming things up before breakfast.

  • Thursday Breakfast

    7:00am - 10:00am

    getting you out of bed and to work and school with great music and headlines.

  • Stubbsy in the Morning

    10:00am - Noon

    Steve Stubbs brings you a mix of great music and irreverant chat each day of the week.

Roch Valley Radio is a not-for-profit radio station serving Bury and Rochdale including the surrounding areas on DAB, your Smart Speakers and Online.

© Copyright 2026 Roch Valley Radio CIC. Powered by Aiir.