Aiming High - township dimension

Heywood Township

The Township vision, which was adopted by Heywood Together, is for Heywood to be a safe, small town set in attractive countryside. Heywood Together is a partnership of the Township, New Heart for Heywood (New Deal for Communities), Police, NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, Heywood Community Groups and other key organisations operating services for the benefit of Heywood residents.

We want Heywood to offer an attractive location, which is part of a successful borough and city region, with a wide range of housing in attractive neighbourhoods offering excellent value. We want modern employment opportunities in the town and easy access to jobs in Rochdale, Bury and elsewhere. We want a thriving town centre, with a good range of shops and leisure facilities, with a strong sense of identity and community. We want people to feel proud of the town and enjoy living there. We want Heywood to have the best of both worlds – a small town feel with countryside on the doorstep, but close to all the benefits of the city region.

Heywood Township has about 28,500 people living there, and is well placed for commuting given its excellent motorway links. However, there are some particular challenges in Heywood:

• Two of the three wards are in the 20% most deprived nationally
• A high proportion of adults have few or no qualifications
• Life expectancy is in the worst fifth nationally and is lower than in other townships
• Crime levels have been falling, but there was an increase in the last year, and fear of crime is high
• Educational aspirations are low
• High numbers of children living in low income households

Priorities and what we will do

Increasing jobs and prosperity

We will ensure Heywood has modern employment opportunities and easy access to the wider conurbation. We will:

• Make sure Heywood residents and businesses make the most of Kingsway opportunities
• Work with Rochdale Development Agency to attract inward investment
• Develop Heap Bridge and Green Lane
• Deliver north/south links and the Mossfield site
• Work with partners to raise aspirations, skills, enterprise and employment

Making sure every child matters

We will make sure our children are safe, happy and healthy. We will:

• Increase vocational training for young people
• Recognise and reward responsible young citizens
• Increase positive and constructive opportunities for young people

Improving community safety

We will reduce crime and the fear of crime so that our people feel safer. We will:

• Work with the police to ensure a uniformed visible police presence
• Combat anti-social behaviour
• Work to overcome the culture of binge drinking and excessive alcohol consumption
• Reduce underage alcohol sales and encourage more responsible parenting

Creating a cleaner, greener environment

We will capitalise on and develop Heywood’s environmental assets. We will:

• Ensure that environmental projects are delivered in the township
• Improve our gateways and corridors
• Develop a tourism and heritage programme to sustain the East Lancashire Railway
• Deliver Green Flag status for Queen’s Park
• Work towards a wide range of housing in attractive neighbourhoods
• Lead work with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing and other agencies to build more homes

Improving health and well being

We will improve the health of our people and:

• Work with the NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale to ensure primary care is delivered within the community
• Tackle alcohol misuse, smoking and obesity
• Work to provide local affordable access to exercise facilities
• Encourage people to develop healthier lifestyles

Heywood Township Plan was approved by Township Committee in July 2007. The implementation structure for the Township Plan continues to be developed through the Heywood Champions Group of Service Officers, and whilst some key priority resources are in place, such as the Sports, Culture and Leisure Village, elements of these priority funding packages are still to be secured from external funding sources. Priorities continue to be funded within existing council service resources as implementation plans roll out via the Champions Group, and a firm view on whether resources are in place or not over the full range of priorities will be reached by December 2007.

Middleton Township

Middleton Township’s vision is to ensure that Middleton meets the needs of existing and future residents, visitors, workers and businesses. We want a high quality of life and a township that offers opportunity and choice.

There are 45,600 people living in the township. It has good motorway links and is well placed for people who work in central Manchester and the rest of the city region. The key challenges for Middleton to address are:

• High numbers of adults with no qualifications
• Poor life expectancy, with four out of five wards in the worst fifth in England
• Higher incidence of lung cancer and coronary heart disease
• Crime levels have been falling but rose again in the last year, and fear of crime is high

Priorities and what we will do

Increasing jobs and prosperity

We will develop quality business and employment opportunities. We will raise skills levels so that we have a well-trained and skilled workforce. We will:

• Develop a marketing plan for Middleton to cover small, medium and large business opportunities and tourism
• Work with partners to increase support for local people returning to employment
• Increase vocational training opportunities for young people and adults who want to improve skills levels or learn new skills
• Continue the progress of the town centre redevelopment with the adopted master plan and work on the regeneration of the town centre

Making sure every child matters

We will support and champion the needs of children and young people. We will empower our young people to lead happier, healthier and more prosperous lives. We will:

• Increase young people’s aspirations and encourage them into work and training opportunities
• Increase opportunities for post-16 education and training through the provision of two new school sixth forms
• Improve the facilities available for young people and their families through the construction of a new £16m Academy and investment in improved buildings at the Township’s other secondary schools
• Provide multi-activity youth facilities for sporting activities across Middleton
• Support the Middleton Youth Forum’s role in consultation with young people

Improving community safety

We will reduce crime and the fear of crime so that people who live and work in Middleton will feel and be safer. We will:

• Work with the police to provide a more visible uniformed presence
• Promote target hardening at burglary hot spots, and for repeat victims and vulnerable people
• Provide vulnerable person property surveys
• Introduce a responsible licensee scheme to reduce underage sales of alcohol and tobacco

Creating a cleaner, greener environment

We will improve the environment so Middleton is a cleaner, greener and more pleasant place to live, work and visit. We will:

• Work with and develop community and friends groups
• Respond to residents concerns about “grot spots”
• Improve the monitoring and quality of utility companies digging up and reinstating pavements and roads

Improving health and well being

We will work with partners to improve the health of residents and deliver a better quality of life. We will:

• Promote initiatives to improve dental treatment, tackle alcohol misuse and smoking and reduce obesity
• Promote healthier lifestyles, including the need for exercise, promoting opportunities for exercise and physical activity

Resources for Middleton Township priorities

We are still putting together proposals for establishing our Devolution Steering Group and the complementary Township Structures before looking at the resource issues via those structures. Council Services are currently considering the potential resourcing of Township priorities and we will have reached a firm view on resources available by December 2007.

Pennines Township

Our vision is to create sustainable urban and semi-rural communities in our Township. We will make sure our people have access to appropriate housing, employment, leisure and community facilities, and proper social and family support. We want local people to feel safe and feel a sense of community and belonging.

Pennines Township is home to 40,000 people and covers 40% of the total land area of the Borough. It includes the town of Littleborough and the villages of Milnrow, Newhey, Wardle and Smithy Bridge, with scattered hamlets in between reflecting the moorland nature of the area. Pennines has a higher level of employment than the rest of the Borough but also has some particular challenges including:

• A higher than average number of people claiming unemployment benefits
• Poor life expectancy
• High levels of deprivation in Smallbridge and Firgrove

Priorities and what we will do

Increasing jobs and prosperity

We will create more jobs in the tourism industry. We will:

• Support Wardle Countryside Gateway, the Pennines Festival and development of a Local History Centre in Littleborough
• Work with partners to develop a tourism-related business at Ealees
• Drive forward improvements at Hollingworth Lake and work towards Green Flag status
• Encourage the use of leisure opportunities offered by Rochdale Canal

Making sure every child matters

We will improve the quality of and access to youth services and

• Engage young people in decision-making about how resources can be used
• Develop local centres within communities

Improving community safety

We will improve community safety through improving the environment. We will:

• Work to reduce the level of youth nuisance, anti-social behaviour, graffiti and vandalism
• Work with the police to provide a more visible uniformed presence

Creating a cleaner, greener environment

We will encourage pride in the environment and:

• Improve Hollingworth Lake access, amenities and upkeep and achieve Green Flag status for the Country Park
• Develop the Littleborough Leisure Area (Renaissance Master Plan proposal to make a stronger connection between Hollingworth Lake and Littleborough. Watergrove and Ogden Reservoirs should be considered as part of the attraction)
• Improve access to the countryside
• Increase recycling and improve street services
• Improve education to raise awareness of the problems caused by littering
• Improve subways, riverbanks and railway embankments

Improving health and well being

We will improve the health and well being of older people

• We will review current services and consult older people about what services they need and want

Resources for Pennines Township priorities

Pennines Township Plan was approved in July 2007 and includes descriptions of priority projects relating to older people, younger people, tourism development and the environment. The Plan also refers to those services, which have been devolved to Pennines Township and those over which local members will have more influence. Detailed discussions are taking place with Council Services to look at options in more detail and these will be finalised at future Township Committee meetings.

It is difficult to confirm at this stage whether or not resources are in place to enable priorities to be achieved. However, it is envisaged that certain priorities will be achieved this year within existing Council budgets. Discussions with partner agencies are still ongoing.

Rochdale Township

Our vision is to create a friendly, clean and safe Township with harmonious and diverse communities. We will develop pride in our co-operative spirit and industrial heritage and build on these qualities for a prosperous future as part of the Manchester city region. We will increase community cohesion and involvement, including people from different generations, backgrounds and cultures in all activities.

Rochdale Township is the largest township in the borough, with 91,300 people in nine wards. 78% of the population is white, and the largest minority ethnic group is Pakistani with 16% of the population. Some of the challenges we need to address are:

• The employment rate is low, with high levels of worklessness
• A high number of adults have no qualifications
• Six out of nine wards have poor life expectancy, and are in the worst fifth in England
• Crime levels have been falling, but rose again in the last year, and fear of crime is high

Priorities and what we will do

Rochdale Township has a diverse population. We want to include people from different generations, backgrounds and cultures in all the activities included in the Township Plan. We want to ensure all our people have a sense of belonging and enhanced life opportunities. We value diversity and want to encourage positive relationships between communities. We will:

• Develop projects which promote and celebrate positive images of diversity
• Develop links between schools and develop intergenerational work

Increasing jobs and prosperity

We will work with partners to increase levels of investment in the town centre and create more jobs. We will:

• Co-ordinate support to small businesses and community businesses
• Work in partnership to improve access to work opportunities
• Raise skills levels
• Work with partners to create and promote a vibrant town centre

Making sure every child matters

We will improve the quality and access to youth services and other services aimed at having a positive effect on children and young people. We will:

• Create more opportunities for positive and constructive youth activities
• Develop partnerships to involve young people in decision-making
• Develop a town centre based 6th form college

Improving community safety

We will improve community safety and:

• Increase the number of prosecutions of providers of alcohol to underage drinkers
• Encourage community engagement in developing schemes to enable “whistle blowing” on providers of alcohol to underage drinkers
• Provide more education and promotions that highlight the dangers of alcohol
• Provide more public reassurance on the fear of crime

Creating a cleaner, greener environment

We will improve the environment for people who live and work in the township. We will:

• Promote quality walking and cycling environments
• Develop integrated transport
• Develop good street lighting and footways
• Work with partners to ensure buildings comply with safe by design standards
• Reduce litter levels and remove graffiti efficiently

Improving health and well being

We will create healthy lifestyles for all ages. We will:

• Work with the NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale to improve access to health provision
• Improve support and counselling for mental health and drug and alcohol related illnesses
• Make better use of community health facilities

Resources for Rochdale Township priorities

The Rochdale Township Plan was approved in July 2007 but is expected to develop over the next few months. Councillors will be working with officers from Council services and partner agencies to agree detailed actions to achieve the priorities and our key themes of community cohesion and engagement, older people, younger people and Rochdale town centre. It is difficult to confirm at this stage whether or not resources are in place to enable priorities to be achieved. However, it is envisaged that certain priorities will be achieved this year within existing council budgets. Discussions with partner agencies are still ongoing.

  
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