Council Leader hails “life-changing” West Vale development

We were proud to welcome Oldham Council Leader, Arooj Shah to our flagship £20 million West Vale development recently, where she ceremonially handed over the keys to some of our newest residents.

Councillor Shah was joined by Oldham Council Chief Executive Shelley Kipling for a tour of the 88-home development, hosted by our CEO Mark Gifford. The visit offered the perfect opportunity to showcase the high-quality homes and vibrant new community taking shape in the heart of Oldham.

Describing the development as “everything that a social housing provider should provide for their residents,” Cllr Shah praised the look, feel and quality of the site, calling it “incredible.”

One of the residents she met was Mohammed Ahmed, 37, and his wife Milima, 33, along with their four children. Having just moved into their new shared ownership home, Mr Ahmed shared the impact the move has had on their family:

“The property's brilliant and it's affordable. It’s made a real difference to our lives – we’ve finally been able to give our girls their own rooms. We bought this home off-plan and have been watching with excitement as it’s come together.”

Cllr Shah said: “I often get asked to visit housing developments, and the second I stepped into West Vale, I knew this was something special. You can feel the sense of pride and care that’s gone into it. It’s not just about building houses – it’s about building communities. This should be a blueprint for other social housing providers.”

Alongside Mr and Mrs Ahmed, the visitors also met Angel Nash, 17, who recently moved into her one-bedroom apartment for affordable rent. Angel’s story is just one example of how West Vale is already beginning to change lives.

Speaking after the visit, our CEO Mark Gifford said: “We’re incredibly proud of what FCHO has achieved here, in partnership with Caddick Construction. West Vale represents our commitment to tackling Oldham’s housing challenges in a way that builds not only homes, but thriving, supportive communities.

This is a flagship project for us — and the start of so much more to come.”

The West Vale scheme delivers 26 two, three, and four-bedroom houses for shared ownership, and 62 one and two-bedroom apartments for affordable rent — all part of our ongoing mission to provide high-quality, affordable homes across Oldham.

Dave Saville, Regional Managing Director for Caddick Construction North West, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Councillor Arooj Shah on-site on the West Vale development this week to showcase the progress being made on this important project for the local area. The visit was a valuable opportunity to highlight the collaboration between the Caddick team and FCHO to create twenty-six high-quality houses and 62 apartments to meet local housing needs. We're proud to be delivering a scheme that is not only meeting high standards in construction, but one that also supports local employment and long-term investment in the area."

A big thank you to everyone involved in making West Vale a reality — and to Cllr Arooj Shah and Shelley Kipling for taking the time to meet our customers and share in this milestone moment.

Watch the video below to learn more.