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Council proposal to spend £9Millon

Rochdale Borough Council has announced proposals to spend a total of almost £9m; the money will be spent on a range of projects including transport improvements, town centre regeneration, major events, improving local people’s skills, and providing extra front-line social care staff.
The proposals include £3.5m on transport - including the completion of a Rochdale inner ring-road, improved parking at railway stations, and better traffic management for Heywood town centre.

Date published: 12/03/2010

Schools mainly satisfactory says Ofsted

Ofsted has released the official data showing inspection outcomes for the first four months of the new inspection framework.
In Rochdale Borough, Ofsted carried out 7 inspections from 1 September to 31 December 2009. 1 school was rated as outstanding, 1 as good, 4 as satisfactory and 1 as inadequate. ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Shops selling knives to minors

Four traders have been caught selling knives to youngsters who were clearly underage - it is a criminal offence to sell a knife, knife blade, razor blade or axe to a person under the age of 18 years old.
...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Tesco guilty of under age alcohol sales

Tesco Express in Kirkway, Alkrington, Middleton has been caught selling alcohol to minors on three separate occasions.
Strict rules have now been imposed to restrict the sale of alcohol at the store.
Tesco was called before the council’s Licensing Committee but agreed before the hearing took place to abide by stringent and unprecedented conditions rather than risk their...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Housing Minister asks about Spodden Valley asbestos site

Campaigners Dave Phillips, Laurie Kazan Allen and Jason Addy have met with Housing and Regeneration Minister John Healey in Westminster.
The Housing & Regeneration minister was informed about recent Rochdale Online reports that current site owners MMC Estates have stated they do not have the funds to continue investigations into contamination. ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Danczuk opposition to 'Trident Replacement'

Labour's prospective parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Rochdale, Simon Danczuk, having previously maintained that he was "undecided" on the issue of the Labour government's plans to upgrade the Trident nuclear missile system has, with the General Election just weeks away, finally made his mind up. ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Party of pensioners

Eighty pensioners attended a party at the Town Hall to celebrate 21 years of the Rochdale Pensioners Association.
Special guests included the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor Keith Swift and Ms Sue Etchells, Paul Rowen MP, Councillor Dale Mulgrew, Councillor Colin Lambert and Coucillor Ashley Dearnley. ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

New Director of Adult Social Care

Rochdale Borough Council has appointed Sheila Downey as its new Director of Adult Social Care.
In her new role Ms Downey will be working in partnership with the NHS and also be responsible for promoting wellbeing, health and independence for adults of all ages and ensuring the vulnerable are supported. ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Decrease in homelessness

New national statistics show that despite the tough economic times, the number of those accepted as homeless is down by 72 per cent since 2003.
The figures show that 9,430 households were accepted as homeless by local authorities between October to December 2009 - a 22 per cent reduction compared to the same time last year. ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Williams Rochdale best in the country

Williams Rochdale has been recently recognised as the best BMW Approved Used Car Dealer in the country by BMW UK.
The dealership, on Gorrels Way, Rochdale, has been awarded the Approved Used Car Award 2009 beating 145 other authorised BMW dealerships in the UK. ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

Armed robbery at Co-op

Two men in balaclavas attacked a security guard, who was delivering a cash box to the Co-op store just off Albert Royds Street, with a spanner and got away with a "substantial" amount of cash (amount not disclosed) on Wednesday (10 March 2010). ...

Date published: 12/03/2010

7000 houses without power in Heywood

Around 7000 houses in Heywood are without power this evening due to a fire at Egerton Street sub-station.

The fire began around 6.00pm and the fire service is still in attendance at the time of publication (7.22pm).

Eye witnesses reported brown smoke and a bang at the sub-station, and a smell of burning in the air around it. ...

Date published: 11/03/2010

Police chief will strive to do more

Fahy hits back after Greater Manchester Police rated second-worst force in Britain.
Crime in Greater Manchester has dropped by 13 per cent leading to increased public confidence in the police, according to a new report.
The Police Report Card recognises the force’s success in tackling serious and gun crime, work in priority neighbourhoods and crime-fighting achievements...

Date published: 11/03/2010

GMP one of the worst performing forces in country

Greater Manchester Police is one of the worst performing forces in the country, a report today reveals.
It must improve on solving burglaries, dealing with violence and anti-social behaviour.
The report, published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), said while improvements were needed, the force has a strong track record in dealing with high level...

Date published: 11/03/2010

Council says buy local but buys anywhere but local

Frank Salt

Rochdale Borough Council signed up to a buy local agreement three years ago and recently has spent around £50,000 trying to persuade locals to shop local but yet again the Council fails to...

Date published: 11/03/2010

Councillor's husband ejected by police

Council Cabinet member and Heywood Lib Dem Councillor Doreen Brophy-Lee could be forgiven for wondering who needs enemies with friends like her husband! Mr Brophy-Lee had to be escorted out of the recent Heywood Township meeting by the police after refusing to go quietly having been asked to leave by the Township chairman for repeatedly launching verbal tirades against members...

Date published: 10/03/2010

New Heywood leisure facility named

Heywood’s new sports, leisure and cultural facilities currently under construction on West Starkey Street are set to open later this year. The £10.4 million complex which replaces the old Gaskell Pool and Jack Talbot Sports Hall will be called Heywood Sports Village. ...

Date published: 10/03/2010

Students tune into media opportunities

Students from Cardinal Langley RC High School in Middleton are to become the stars of a new radio station called Difference, which is launching soon with help from Key 103, Aim Higher and the Greater Manchester Challenge, after taking part in the ‘Preparing for Media City’ programme, which aims to equip students with the skills and experience to enable them to capitalise on...

Date published: 10/03/2010

Rail-to-tram line will shut down

A rail track in Oldham being converted into a tram track will be shut down three years later, a serious blow to commuters from Newhey and Milnrow.
As part of Metrolink Services upgrade of the Rochdale/Oldham loop-line, the section between Mumps and Werneth will be decommissioned in 2014. ...

Date published: 10/03/2010

Rowen presses on mortgage rescue scheme

Paul Rowen MP

Paul Rowen, MP for Rochdale, this week questioned the Minister for Housing John Healey MP on funding for mortgage repossession schemes.
Mr Rowen highlighted the Mortgage Rescue Scheme,...

Date published: 10/03/2010

Men tied up in robbery

Five men were tied up by men carrying hammers and pick axes in Rochdale.
Between 4.45am and 5.25am on Saturday 27 February 2010, four men broke into a flat above a restaurant on Heywood Old Road, Rochdale.
They tied up the men who were asleep in the flat and searched the place, stealing cash, mobile phones and computers. ...

Date published: 10/03/2010

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