Rossendale Borough Council

In brief

Rossendale is a district with borough status in Lancashire, holding a number of former mill towns centred on the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West. Rossendale combines modest size urban development with rural villages and is immediately south of Burnley, east of Blackburn and north of Bolton, Bury, Manchester and Rochdale, centred 15 miles (24 km) north of Manchester.

In the 2001 census the population of Rossendale was 65,652, spread between the larger towns of Bacup, Haslingden, Whitworth and Rawtenstall; the villages of Crawshawbooth, Edenfield, Helmshore and Waterfoot; and as well as Britannia, Broadclough, Chatterton, Cloughfold, Cowpe, Irwell Vale, Loveclough, Newchurch, Shawforth, Stacksteads, Stubbins, Turn and Weir. The population at the 2011 Census had risen to 67,922.

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, from the municipal boroughs of Bacup, Haslingden, Rawtenstall, part of Ramsbottom Urban District and Whitworth Urban District.

Geography

The borough forms a large part of the Accrington/Rossendale Built-up area which covers the borough and parts of the neighboring borough of Hyndburn. The Acrrington/Rossendale Built-up area extends from the towns of Rawtenstall and Bacup to Accrington which takes in parts of the boroughs of Hyndburn and Rossendale. The area was recorded at having a population of 125,059

What to expect

Our experience of working with the planners at Rossendale has not been positive.

Whilst Rossendale offer a pre-application service compliance with that pre-app advice lead to a refusal of planning permission on different grounds. The decision itself, as noted within the appeal, twisted policies for a new purpose in order to justify the refusal.

Little to no communication was afforded by the LPA, aside for the pre-app officer who has subsequently left the authority.

Rossendale do not have a reported 5 year housing land supply and are a ‘presumption’ authority on the 2021 Housing Delivery Test for which the Inspector has noted that the the policies of the development
plan which are the most important for determining applications are therefore out of date and, in light of Paragraph 11 d) ii) of the Framework, planning permission should be granted unless any adverse impacts of doing so would significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.

• Land to the rear of Burnley Road, Bacup OL13 8QE – Construction of three older persons bungalows