Rochdale should create a riverside, heritage themed town centre

What the river feature could look like

Rochdale should create a riverside, heritage themed town centre with a visitor economy, say the authors of a report into the future of Greater Manchester town centres.

The report, by the Planning and Housing Commission, notes that Rochdale is ranked the 13th most ‘at risk’ town centre in the country on the Javelin Group’s evaluation of centres at greatest long-term threat from key consumer trends.

To counter this, Rochdale Council  wants to bring more visitors to the town centre, from both within and outside Rochdale Borough. 

To do so, the report says the Council should leverage "heritage assets such as the Town Hall, the Toad Lane area and historic links with the Co-op movement". 

Whilst lauding the ambition of the Council to increase visitor numbers, the reports authors conclude the resources available to market Rochdale to visitors are "inevitably going to be tight" and question whether "Rochdale will be able to increase visitor numbers in isolation".

Developing another shopping centre at Town Centre East, as planned by Rochdale Council, is said to be "logical given the need to redevelop the site once the old Council offices become redundant and the lack of premium retail provision", however, the authors express fears, long voiced locally, that the development may never happen, "given the current economic climate, and the challenge of attracting national retailers".

That the changing retail landscape and consumer trends presents a major risk to the the council's planned new shopping centre is acknowledged: "The changing retail landscape and consumer trends will make the Town Centre East retail elements of the town centre strategy difficult to deliver."

If the development does go ahead, the report cites a worrying "lack of measures to mitigate the impacts on the Wheatsheaf and Exchange shopping centres".

Refurbishing Rochdale’s existing privately owned shopping centres - The Rochdale Exchange Shopping Centre and The Wheatsheaf Centre - is proposed. This proposal has come in for particular criticism for Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk. Mr Danczuk says that tax payers money should not be spent on a "failed" shopping centre that is in administration and is owned by The Bank of Ireland. It is, he says, effectively handing over yet more local tax payers money to bankers.

Rochdale Council has already committed to spending £2.5million on a new entrance to the Wheatsheaf Centre:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/127/council-watch/77976/millions-could-be-wasted-by-the-council

Paul Turner-Mitchell of independent retailer 25Ten Boutique is furious with the proposal, he says if the shopping centres need refurbishing then it is the owners who should pay for the refurbishment, not local tax payers.

Mr Turner-Mitchell is also critical of the authors for relying on council officers, councillors, town centre management, etc as their sources, he asks why those working at the "coal-face" were not approached for their views and opinions.

The concluding next steps and recommendations for Rochdale are:

• Work with Marketing Manchester/Visit Manchester to explore the potential for utilising Rochdale’s visitor attractions and develop a firmer business case, quantifying benefit. Work with neighbouring districts and Visit Manchester to explore whether Rochdale centre can form part of a wider GM offer in this part of the conurbation.
• Use the imminent physical development changes to go on the front foot with a pro-active media campaign about the new-look Rochdale inviting newcomers to come and take a look ‘behind the headlines’, perhaps using famous sons and daughters of the town as ambassadors.
• Focus more resources to attract and grow independent shops/restaurants in key areas, which include those benefiting from the river re-opening and the Butts, Baillie Street and streets off Hunters Lane. Develop a business support package to accompany the re-opening of the River Roch, focusing on the river as somewhere for the evening economy.
• Consider the mitigation measures that will be necessary for existing shopping centres if TC East goes ahead and what improvement and re-structuring of the existing shopping centres is required if not.

The multi-million pound masterplan, intended to breathe new life into Greater Manchester’s struggling town centres, is due to go before council leaders at the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) meeting on Friday. A new investment fund would be created for the eight towns, including Rochdale and councils would then cherry-pick the most viable projects – before bidding for cash to help them off the ground.