Supermarket plan given the go ahead

Rochdale Council has given the go ahead for a supermarket on Oldham Road despite a number of objections and concerns from local business owners.

Independent businesses on Oldham Road gathered hundreds of signatures on a petition against the plans which retailers in the area think will have a massive effect on their trade.

Jay Patel from Bargain Booze on Oldham Road said: “Of course it will affect local businesses but if it opens then it opens. I am just not happy with the way the council went about making the decision. The local businesses were not listened to at all.”

Mr Patel also told how the council planning officer sitting in the meeting to answer questions from the council, advised councillors just before the final decision was made, that if they were to vote against the decision it could cost the council money in the long run.

Mr Patel added: “As far as we were concerned the council were voting against the plans. One councillor said they did not agree with it and then another was about to second it and then then planning officer advised them that if they voted against the plan, it could go to appeal and cost them money and to me, that is not fair.”

Plans for the site, which is could be occupied by a Morrisons Local or Sainsburys, also include removing parking spaces around the former Easirent site to make way for a loading area.

Mark Widdup, Director of Economy and Environment at Rochdale Council, said: “At the Rochdale Township Planning sub-committee, councillors considered an application for a retail development on Oldham Road. Concerns about traffic in the area were raised by an objector and these and all other planning issues were addressed in the officer’s report which concluded that any impacts would not be harmful enough to justify refusal of planning permission.

“This advice was provided to the committee who considered this and the representations made before making their decision to approve the application, subject to conditions.”

http://rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/91983/morrisons-local-could-be-coming-to-oldham-road