Our new Norden Area Forum

Posted By: Wera Hobhouse
Date Posted: 30/09/2009

Norden has had an Area Forum of sorts for many years. When I first became a councillor in 2004 Rochdale Township Area Forum piggy backed on the monthly meeting which were held in Norden Community School for all the user groups of the school like the Table Tennis Club or the Football Club (gradually also including other community groups like NEEVA, which represents businesses in Norden, and the Norden Carnival Committee.) So when Rochdale started to establish Area Forums it seemed an obvious choice to bring Rochdale Township into the Community School meetings. But since Rochdale Township devolved money to Area Forums and opened the Area Forum to all residents of Norden it became quickly evident that the meetings were becoming far too long and that school user group representatives weren’t necessarily interested in Norden ward business while some residents weren’t necessarily interested in business purely relating to the use of the Community School.
Therefore the decision was made by all concerned to split the meeting into two. This has been a real success!
Last Wednesday we had our first Area Forum meeting excellently chaired by Nigel Morrell, attended by Val White from Rochdale Township, taking the minutes and PC Sarah Firth reporting from our recent PACT meetings as well a representative from the Bridle Path Association- Norden has apparently more horses then residents- three ward councillors and last but not least many of our Norden residents.
Norden has a thriving local business culture which everybody wants to keep and encourage. With business come people- and cars. One of our pet issues in Norden is parking or better the lack of parking and all the associated problems like parking over people’s drives; parking so that service vehicles like bin wagons or ambulances can’t get to properties, parking which doesn’t allow visibility and parking on double yellow lines.
So a good deal of the meeting was taken up by this issue. But we also had some good discussions about Norden Bus services and how we can make our roads safer for the many horse riders in Norden, the new pedestrian crossing in the village and what alternatives we have for flower displays while our lamp posts are becoming unsafe for hanging baskets.
I thank all officers but particularly residents for taking the time and coming to these meetings. I hope they will become an essential part of Norden life and help make our communities work better together.