The vision that will shape Rochdale’s future is set to be signed off. Major changes are expected through growth around transport hubs and building thousands of new homes.
The Rochdale Local Plan is set to mould the future of the borough by 2039. In that time period, just under 11,000 new homes will be built and the borough’s stations will become the centre for dramatic changes, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Following an extensive consultation period, council bosses discussed the Local Plan at their town hall meeting on 28 July and are reported to have pushed it through to the next phase, before formal adoption.
This Local Plan is focusing on Rochdale alone. The Rochdale Rail Corridor Strategy is at the heart of what the local authority really wants to achieve. There is also significant potential for transport improvements, with an idea to extend the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) into Heywood. An ambition to connect the town to Rochdale and Bury with new tram-train technology is also earmarked.
The concept would see the land around transport hubs along the Manchester to Leeds railway line reconfigured into places for people to live, work and play. These hubs would focus on the stations in Rochdale, Castleton, Mills Hill, Smithy Bridge, Littleborough and a new Slattocks station.
Combined with walking and cycling routes, park and rides, new public realms and community spaces, these hubs hope to attract more people into the area and in turn boost the local economy.
The Rochdale borough is already anticipating a major boost in the coming years through the Atom Valley scheme. The vision to build 7,000 new homes, create 20,000 ‘high-quality’ jobs and carve out 17m sq ft of employment land has already taken hold.
The building has already started on the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre (SMMC) in Kingsway. This is the beginning of many more opportunities for investment in the region.
Overall, the strategic plan covered a huge array of topics that would influence how the borough would grow. These areas include climate and energy, economic growth and town centres, housing, natural environment, design and place-making, healthy communities and sustainable transport.
(Picture: Mapillary)
