Council officers and councillors visit Norden Heritage Green

Heritage Green site, at the junction of Caldershaw Road and Cut Lane in Norden

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Council officers and councillors from the Rochdale Township Committee met with the Friends of Heritage Green at the Heritage Green site (at the junction of Caldershaw Road and Cut Lane in Norden) to see the field and surrounding areas for themselves and to seek the views of the residents to the proposed sale and development of the site for the building of six houses.

Although it was a wet day, over 50 residents of all ages turned out to show their support of the campaign and their opposition to the Council’s plans. 

The Council was represented by Councillor Shaun O’Neill (Chairman of the Rochdale Township Committee) and Peter Gregory (Senior Property Manager Estates and Assets) and other councillors, including Patricia Sullivan and Ian Duckworth, and Katie Moore (Township and Engagement Officer).

Residents and representatives of the Friends of Heritage Green were given the opportunity to voice their reasons for opposing the sale of Heritage Green and to ask questions.

It was made clear by Peter Gregory that he and his department would still be recommending to the Rochdale Township Committee that the Council sells the land.

Resident Joyce Johnson raised her concern with Peter Gregory that the Council hasn’t estimated the likely sale value of Heritage Green nor quantified the current cost of maintaining the land.

Peter Gregory confirmed that the sale would once again be recommended without including details of these financial aspects in the paper to be presented to the Township.

Suzanne Drury questioned how the Council could recommend the sale and upset local residents without formulating a business case but Peter Gregory confirmed that the Council’s procedures do not demand quantifying the financial aspects at this stage of their processes.

Audrey Thorpe raised the matter of the state of the land and referred to the demolition of 24 houses in 1999, that were built nearby, and the disruption and inconvenience that this caused residents and questioned whether the land was fit to build on.

The response from Peter Gregory was that building techniques had improved and that bidders for the land may come up with modern solutions that would be acceptable to the Council.

The Friends of Heritage Green were encouraged that Councillor Shaun O’Neill voiced his personal position of opposition to the sale.

The Friends have worked to ensure that members of the Rochdale Township Committee, including Councillor O’Neill, are made fully aware of the history of the site, its value to the community as a recreational and leisure space and the opposition of a great many of the local residents to the proposed sale through publicity on Rochdale Online.

They have also written to Councillor O’Neill and MP Liz McInnes.

The Friends of Heritage Green’s hope is that armed with all the relevant information and aware of the feelings of local residents that the Rochdale Township will reconsider their position and reverse the decision to sell Heritage Green.

The Friends of Heritage Green next meet on 12 September at 12 noon at the Old Norden Library and the crucial vote takes place at the Rochdale Township Committee meeting (which is open to the public) on 16 September.

If you are interested in joining the Friends of Heritage Green and receiving information relating to the campaign, please contact Mark Hope by email on markhope680@btinternet.com or telephone on 07812 195 873.