Barrie Bernstein honoured

Date published: 27/11/2006

Rochdale Council granted Barrie Bernstein its highest honour, the Freedom of the Borough, in recognition of his outstanding service to the Borough in a ceremony at Rochdale Town Hall on Sunday 26 November.

In 1990 Mr Bernstein was invited to join the Rochdale TEC (Training and Enterprise Council).   He formed the RDA (Rochdale Development Agency)  through the TEC in 1994.

Whilst the agency has expanded substantially since its formation, most of the core team are still there some 13 years later.  Over that period several major development schemes have been brought to fruition, including the massive Kingsway Business Park project.   At the time construction started on Kingsway it was the single largest employment development in the U.K. covering some 420 acres and representing a total investment of almost £350M. The RDA also played a large role in producing the Rochdale Renaissance Masterplan and is involved in bringing forward many of the schemes identified in that plan, such as the redevelopment of Rochdale Town Centre.

Rochdale has now become firmly established as a centre for economic growth in the North West, bringing huge benefits to the community, industry and employment generally.

Barrie Bernstein is particularly proud of the agency’s work, and its tremendous success.