Residents unveiled a piece of public art they have created to celebrate a £15m development that has provided some of the greenest homes in the country.

Families joined special guests and politicians – including former Shadow Housing Minister Jack Dromey – to mark the completion of St Mary's in Oldham.

Contour Homes, part of Symphony Housing Group, first began working with Oldham Council on plans for the 2.2 ha St Mary’s site more than 10 years ago.

Once occupied by back-to-back terraces, they were demolished in the 1970s and replaced with deck-access flats. However, by the late 1990s these had been bulldozed.


With investment including £7.7m from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), the site has been extensively regenerated and now features 93 modern, spacious homes.

Four have been built to Level 6 under the Code for Sustainable Homes, meaning they have a ‘zero carbon rating’ and are packed with features including triple-glazing and A+ rated electrical appliances.

Meanwhile, two properties have Passivhaus status – the fastest-growing energy performance standard in the world. These homes are exceptionally airtight and are fitted with a special ventilation system which means occupants need to pay only around £70 a year in heating costs.

Residents joined Mr Dromey, Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams, and other guests to celebrate the scheme’s completion at Friday’s event.

A commemorative stone, featuring a mosaic designed by householders in the summer, was unveiled – the result of just one of a number of projects that has seen Contour Homes work with families at St Mary’s since 2011.

Other guests included representatives from Oldham Council, including Leader Jim McMahon and Dave Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing and Environment; construction company Keepmoat; architects Nicol Thomas; and consultants Arcus.

(CD/MH)