Brett calls redevelopment consultation a 'sham'

Date article online: 17/04/2008

Councillor Allen Brett, the Labour Group leader, has called on the leader of the Council, Alan Taylor, to provide answers on the planning process for the £250m redevelopment of Rochdale town centre, which has seen one of the losing bidders, Sultan Properties, launch a legal challenge to overturn the decision.

Councillor Brett has said: “Only last week Alan Taylor wrote to the local newspaper singling out this public consultation as an important part of the evaluation process. Now we are being told that the council has admitted it played no part in deciding who delivers our town centre development.

“Why was an exhibition shop opened up on Yorkshire Street for people to submit their views if there was never any intention of Rochdale Development Agency taking any notice of them?

“We face a very serious legal threat and accusations that the public consultation was a sham.”

Sultan claims that key elements of its proposals, including a refurbished and extended Marks & Spencer store, along with the public consultation, were excluded from the decision-making process to select the winning developer.

The Conservative Group leader, Councillor Ashley Dearnley, has also voiced his concern saying: "I am very alarmed at aspects of the decision making process.

“An independent report was commissioned to show the impact of Wilson Bowden’s plans to relocate M&S on other traders. This report claims that the new development will put some local traders in the Rochdale Exchange and on Yorkshire Street out of business. I know many of these traders personally and I am very concerned at this analysis. Why wasn’t this report included in the evaluation process?”

Commenting, Council Leader Alan Taylor said: “This is putting the £250 Million redevelopment of our Town Centre at risk. We are satisfied with the process that led to selection of our developer and will defend any legal challenge vigorously.

"It’s no wonder that Rochdale has lagged behind other towns with the attitude of the opposition. We are ambitious for Rochdale and will be moving forward despite the opposition.”

Andy Zuntz, Executive Director at Rochdale Council, said: “It was a unanimous all-party decision to select Wilson Bowden as the nominated development partner and the views of local people were taken into account as part of the selection process.”

“Opinions from the local community informed the initial brief that the council issued to all interested developers. The results of the second public consultation last December on the three short-listed schemes were reported to the Town Centre Committee, thereby forming part of the decision-making process.”

“We understand that Sultan are expressing concerns that certain aspects of their proposals were not taken into account. Whilst Sultan/Ask did try and make a late submission and variation to their proposal, EU procurement law meant we could not accept this as the selection process had to be completely fair and balanced.”

“Both the national regeneration agency, English Partnerships and DTZ, one of the world's leading property and regeneration consultancies have said that it was ‘one of the most thorough and robust developer selections they have been involved in.’”