TBA land developers face prosecution

Tree felled in Spodden Valley in October 2006

The Owners of the land of the former TBA site in Spodden Valley, MMC Developments Ltd and Rathbone Jersey Ltd, are to be prosecuted by Rochdale Council for the alleged breach of the Valley’s Tree Preservation Order.

In a letter to the Secretary of the Friends of Healey Dell, Ms Tracey MacDonald, the Council’s Planning Department declared that the owners of the site would be informed that legal proceedings had commenced.

The Council is to act on the advice of the solicitor responsible for planning matters after she advised that the evidence that had been put together would support prosecution and that the public interest would be served by such a course of action. The legal division will now proceed with the prosecution.

A representative of the Save Spodden Valley campaign, who have worked closely with the Friends of Healey Dell over this issue, commented: “Although this has taken eight months, we welcome the principled stand taken by certain council officers and councillors of all parties to ensure the law is respected and enforced.”

A spokesperson for MMC Estates said that as a prosecution is pending, MMC cannot comment on specific details of the case.