Hard hat and fluorescent jackets!

Posted By: Mohammad Sharif
Date Posted: 31/08/2007

Part of my job as Cabinet Member for Regeneration involves attending the
start of new building projects in our Borough. There are many new and
exciting developments happening across Rochdale, including the first new
Council housing being built in over 10 years. In fact these days it feels
like I’m always in a hard hat and fluorescent jacket attending one opening
or another! Many of you will have seen the work going on in Yorkshire Street
to replace the lighting and the paving surface. This is just the start of a
massive regeneration of our town centre. By the end of this year we will
have selected a development partner to implement the massive changes.

People are genuinely excited and very positive about the changes, not least my Lib Dem colleague and town centre businessman, Councillor Greg Couzens. I have also recently been involved with local businesses concerned about crime (including the recent spate of lead thefts) on Drake Street. We are working together with the Police and the Council and I’m looking forward to further close co-operation.

Regeneration involves plenty of behind the scenes work that does not always make the photo page! The Revitalising Inner Rochdale Programme, for example, is steadily bringing benefits to my own ward of Milkstone & Deeplish. Around £250,000 worth of new projects have been approved in response to a recent study.

The regeneration of areas around our town centre is just as vital as
the high profile town centre changes. Indeed they are both linked and part
of our administration’s promise to revitalise Rochdale. Work is also
starting next year on the Metrolink line to Rochdale, which will also be a
great boost for our town. You can either sit back and whinge about our town
or we can do something about it and follow the example of thriving small
towns up and down the UK. I think this Council is helping to transform
Rochdale and I’m proud to play my part.