Car parks to be closed off Sunday evening to stop “car meets”

Car parks across Rochdale are set to be closed off on Sunday evening to prevent scheduled "car meets" from taking place.

Police said that the unauthorised meetings, believed to be organised for Sunday evening, have to be prevented in the interest of public safety.

Following discussion between police, the local authority and local businesses, including Tesco where the event was originally scheduled, some car parks in Rochdale will be closed off by land owners, preventing entry to anyone looking to attend.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: "We are aware that there has been a ‘car meet’ planned to take place on a car park in Rochdale this Sunday.

"This event has not been authorised by the local authority and hasn’t been organised through the correct channels.

"We know that events like this will appeal to many who are looking to show off their cars and meet with like-minded people but it will not be able to go ahead as originally planned.

"Public safety is our top priority and we would discourage anyone from attending an event that has none of the relevant risk assessments, stewarding and licensing arrangements made."

Inspector Riley, Greater Manchester Police said: "I would like to clarify that the shops and businesses are open as usual, the issue here is that the car parks are private land and the land owners do not want these events to take place on their land without having given permission.

"The highways and public areas are the responsibility of the Council and they likewise do not want events going ahead without the proper events process having been followed in line with legislation.

"We have urged the organiser to respect people’s wishes and have advised him to follow the guidance on the Council’s website about planning event in order to discharge his legal responsibilities as an event organiser and ensure he has the correct insurance and plans that keep people protected and safe when attending an events.

"He has a legal duty to do so."