Wind farm and road closures announced across Greater Manchester

A huge new wind farm and a plethora of road closures have all been announced this week across the city-region.

Plans for the Scout Moor II wind farm were revealed last year, but now proposals for 17 wind turbines have officially been tabled with Rochdale and Rossendale councils. The renewable energy scheme is expected to be the largest, in terms of electricity generation, in England.

It will now go through the planning process, where they can expect opposition from local campaign groups who don’t want to see any more wind turbines built on the moorland.
Scout Moor, located on the South Pennine Moors between Rossendale and Rochdale, already home to 26 wind turbines.
Here is a breakdown of each borough’s recently submitted public notices

Bolton
Developer offers ‘grey belt’ argument in attempt to build 80 homes on green belt
A developer has put forward plans to build 80 new homes on green belt land.
Rowland Homes said it intends to develop the new estate on fields off Arthur Lane, close to the village of Harwood, Bolton. Literature sent to nearby properties by Rowland said they would be applying for outline planning permission to provide ‘a high-quality residential development for around 80 new homes, vehicle and pedestrian access points, landscaping and public open space’.
The potential development site covers a roughly rectangular five acre plot of fields and trees bordering Arthur Lane, Harwood Golf Club and Roading Brook Road.

Manchester
Chapel Street East and New Bailey Gateway Works – One Way Closure
Due to planned works, there is a one-way closure of Chapel Street (Westbound) between Blackfriars Road and New Bailey.
Works have been ongoing since May and are expected to last until further notice.

Oldham
A62 Manchester Road, Oldham – Utility Upgrade Works
Works are in progress on A62 Manchester Road, Oldham between Drury Lane and Chamber Road, involving temporary traffic signals and northbound lane closures.
Works expected to last until Thursday, August 14.

Rochdale
Plans for 17 new wind turbines take step forward as Scout Moor II plans officially lodged
Long-awaited plans for England’s largest onshore wind farm have now officially been tabled.
Scout Moor II, located on the South Pennine Moors between Rossendale and Rochdale, would see 17 wind turbines built just north of Rochdale. The wind farm would be able to generate up to 100MW of clean electricity, enough to power around 100,000 homes annually, according to developers.

Cubico Sustainable Investments, the energy company behind the plans, say the amount of electricity generated could power around 77 per cent of all households in Rossendale and Rochdale combined.

Huge new dementia care home planned for one Greater Manchester town
A new specialist dementia care home with open green spaces and communal areas for families could be built in Rochdale.
The 74-bed facility would contain a mix of dementia, nursing, and respite one-bed apartments designed to meet the specialist needs of the elderly. The site, just a stone’s throw from Highfield Hospital off Manchester Road, would be managed by Parklands Care/Arm Around Care Group – a small care provider currently operating in Preston.
If approved, the new four-storey building would house 21 dementia care beds, 48 nursing bedrooms and five respite bedrooms.
Rochdale Road, Bridge Street & Elizabethan Way Junction, Milnrow – Gas Works
Cadent Gas will be carrying out work to replace the gas mains at the junction of Rochdale Road, Bridge Street & Elizabethan Way in Milnrow. The junction will be fully closed with signed diversion routes in place.
Works expected to last until Monday, September 1.

Castleton to Rochdale Active Travel Scheme – Phase 2
Until January 31, 2027, staggered works will take place along Manchester Road between Castleton and Rochdale to deliver phase two improvements.

Salford
Huge former Morrisons store could become new Aldi and PureGym
A huge former Morrisons store in Salford could reopen with a new supermarket and gym.
The site is based at 11 Trafford Road on the edge of Ordsall and Salford Quays and is around 50,000 sq ft in size. The building first opened in 2011 but five years later Morrisons left, leaving it empty for nearly a decade.
New plans submitted to Salford council could see Aldi and PureGym take over sections of the former store to bring it back into use by dividing it into separate units.

Stockport
Up to 150 new homes planned next to A555 Airport relief road
A total of 150 homes could be built next to the A555 in Stockport under new plans.
A planning application will be submitted to the council by later this year by Miller Homes, in a scheme based off Moor Lane in Woodford. The developer said it aims to build a mix of homes that will benefit the neighbourhood.
Stretches of the A555 have been hit by major flooding in recent years, with cars seen completely submerged in water this January after heavy rain across Greater Manchester.
Greek Street, Stockport – Road Closure
Until Spring 2026, Greek Street roundabout in Stockport will be closed for railway bridge replacement works.
Works expected to last until Wednesday, April 1.

Tameside
Huge cash injection will bring major shake-up to town centre roads
A major shake-up of roads and junctions has been earmarked for Denton town centre.
A government-led plan to kickstart growth across the country would see the Tameside town benefit from better accessibility for both cyclists and pedestrians, according to the government.
Under the plans, Denton would see a reconfiguration of roads and junctions; bicycle access in the town centre; cycling parking facilities; and junction modifications to improve accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians.

Mottram-in-Longdendale/Hollingworth, Tameside
Planned road layout changes will take place on Roe Cross Road & A57 Mottram Moor. The preliminary works are part of a wider project to build two new link roads between Manchester and Sheffield.
Works expected to last until January 31, 2028.

Trafford
Talbot Road/Chester Road, Old Trafford – Roadworks
To allow active travel improvements, a road closure will be in place at the junction of Chester Road & Talbot Road (by Seymour Grove), restricting vehicles accessing Chester Road from Talbot Road. Signed diversion routes will be in place during this time.
Works expected to last until Sunday, November 30.