Talking about Townships

Posted By: Elwyn Watkins
Date Posted: 24/07/2007

Don't turn away...this is an important topic! I am the Chair of Rochdale Township and I would like to see more and more people turn up and get involved. Hundreds of people have already turned up to Rochdale township meetings in the past year as well as local area forums. We discuss a whole range of issues that affect you but we want more local input. We have recently discussed important roadwork and planning issues, the future of Healey Dell and the TBA site and education in Rochdale. It is an important forum and I urge people to get involved and attend either your local area forum or the next township meeting.
  
I really want our townships and Council to have more powers and more say on local issues. We Liberal Democrats have tried to devolve as much power as possible to local people through the townships system but central government puts a block on what we can do. This seems crazy to me.

I recently had to deal with the case of a derelict garage on Whitworth Road. The Council is taking enforcement action against the owners who left it in such a mess but I wish we could have more powers from central government to prosecute the owners. The Council would have sorted out the problem a lot earlier. In another case I helped bring in new rules that allowed the Council to charge organisers of big events more than £800 per day to use Cronkeyshaw Common. We have limited the number of events on the Common. But, again, I would like to see more powers enabling Rochdale Council to punish and ban big events that cause huge disruption for local residents and the environment (such as the recent Circus).

The Township system is good at picking up local concerns but more could be done for residents of our Borough. We also need more powers from Central government. I don’t understand why this government does not trust local people to take local decisions. Do they seriously think that they know best for Rochdale? If you have any local concerns come and see your Councillor, attend your area forum and see a township meeting for yourself. We can achieve a lot more by all working together and getting involved.