Regeneration - Rochdale Town Centre
Rochdale Town Centre - It’s Happening
Rochdale town centre is about to be transformed with millions of
pounds of new investment. This is all happening in the Town Centre
East area, between Yorkshire Street and the river. The existing bus
station, multi storey car park and Municipal Offices are going to
be replaced by new shops, cafés, leisure facilities, housing, a new
bus station, new Council offices, a Metrolink terminus and lots
more.
View larger image: Boundary of SPD
area (57kb jpg file)
Have your say on Rochdale's future...
An Area Framework has been prepared for the Town Centre East
Area to guide developers and decide planning applications and we
want your views on it. More information on the consultation
is available at the link below:
The information under the heading Rochdale Town Centre East Area
Framework below is also available in pdf file format and includes
images.
Rochdale
Town Centre East leaflet (409kb pdf file)
Rochdale Town Centre East Area Framework
Whether you love shopping, enjoy eating out or want to see more
leisure opportunities on your doorstep, there’s never been a better
time to have your say on the future of the town centre.
Rochdale town centre is about to be transformed with millions of
pounds of new investment.
This is all happening in the Town Centre East area, between
Yorkshire Street and the river. The existing bus station, multi
storey car park and Municipal Offices are going to be replaced by
new shops, cafés, leisure facilities, housing, a new bus station,
new Council offices, a Metrolink terminus and lots more.
An Area Framework has been prepared for the Town Centre East
Area to guide developers and decide planning applications and we
want your views on it.
What happens next?
After considering your views the Area Framework will be adopted
as a Supplementary Planning Document.
More detailed proposals will be prepared for the Town Centre
East Area by potential developers and you will be consulted on
them, starting in a few months time.
Vision and objectives
After listening to people, the Vision for Rochdale Town Centre
is:
‘An attractive, vibrant and revitalised Rochdale Town Centre
that has an excellent range and choice of shopping, leisure,
living, working, and cultural facilities that meets the needs of,
and provides a focal point for, the Borough. Rochdale will be
established as a major sub regional shopping centre and destination
in the North West’
The Area Framework does not set a specific scheme to be built.
Instead it sets out generally what will be required from
development in the Town Centre East area.
The Area Framework seeks a town centre development that:
- Attracts new investment
- Improves the range and quality of shops
- Puts new shops close to the existing shopping area
- Includes new cafes and restaurants
- Provides new indoor leisure facilities
- Creates lively outdoor shopping streets and public spaces
- Provides more housing in the town centre
- Creates new jobs in offices and shops
- Provides a vibrant mix of uses
- Is well connected with its surroundings
- Has good pedestrian access
- Provides excellent public transport facilities
- Provides adequate short and long stay car parking
- Creates an attractive river frontage with public access
- Helps regenerate the town centre and adjoining areas
- Makes it a place people love to visit and use
Design principles
Based on your views from earlier consultations the Area
Framework sets out 11 Design Principles. These say that development
should:
1. Be Vibrant – With a mix of uses, such as
shops, cafés, offices, housing and leisure, creating a place that
is interesting and enjoyable that makes you want to visit again and
again. It should:
- Avoid blocks of different uses
- Have other uses such as offices and housing above shops
- Encourage the evening economy
- Have lively and interesting street and public open spaces
View larger image: Map with mixture of
land uses in Town Centre (28kb gif file)
2. Be
Distinctive – Creating a place that is attractive and
reflects local character and identity. It should:
- Creatively use the changes in levels to make interesting
spaces
- Use local materials and colours
- Create an attractive riverside area
- Create attractive views
- Include landmark buildings
- Incorporate public art
View larger image: River Roch and the
Town Centre (28kb jpg file)
3. Have Attractive Spaces and Buildings – With
well designed buildings, streets and public spaces that create an
attractive place. It should:
- Create active frontages and remove blank facades
- Create an interesting network of new streets and spaces
- Have buildings of appropriate scale, mainly 2-3 storey and at
most about five
- Have buildings stepped to fit in with the slopes
View larger
image: Building in Town Centre (57kb jpg file)
4. Have Good Access Through It – Be user
friendly with good pedestrian links through it. It should:
- Put pedestrians first
- Create a good pedestrian link between the town centre, bus
station, riverside and other important places
- Have easy and convenient access for all with ramps and lifts
where there are large changes in level
View larger
image: Diagram of transport networks in town
centre (25kb gif file)
5. Be Safe - Creating a town centre which is
safe and secure at all times. It should:
- Have an active mix of uses on streets to increase natural
surveillance
- Ensure safety and security in designing public open spaces,
streets and car parks
- Provide good street lighting
- Have new housing that will ensure 24hr presence in the
area
6. Be Easy to Get To – Easily accessed by
walking, cycling, public transport and car. It should:
- Provide good and accessible public transport facilities
- Have good pedestrian links from surrounding areas
- Include well located, accessible and safe car parks
View larger image: Diagram
of links with other areas in town centre (36kb gif
file)
7. Be Adaptable – Buildings and spaces should
be able to change and respond to new circumstances. It should:
- Be possible to change the use of a building easily
- Have buildings and spaces that are designed to reduce flood
risk
- Have buildings and spaces that are designed to be flexible and
adaptable
8. Be Legible – Making a place that is easy for
people to find their way around. It should:
- Create new linkages with memorable streets and spaces
- Open up views of the Town Hall tower, the river and distant
hills
- Create attractive new landmarks
- Have well designed buildings with obvious entrances
View larger image: Signage town in
town centre (20kb jpg file)
9. Be Sustainable – A place that is energy and
resource efficient and that will meet the needs of existing and
future users. It should:
- Have a compact and well connected layout that encourages
walking and use of public transport
- Have more planting and trees to increase biodiversity
10 Have Sustainable Buildings – Buildings that
save energy and minimise use of resources. It should:
- Have buildings that are efficient in their use of energy and
water
- Have buildings that are designed and located to maximise the
use of solar energy
View larger
image: Buildings in town centre (18kb jpg
file)
11. Be Maintainable – With streets, open spaces
and buildings which are easy to look after and clean. It
should:
- Have high quality paving materials and street furniture that is
easily sourced
- Allow easy and regular street cleaning and maintenance
View larger image: Workmen
in town centre (20kb jpg file)
Character areas
The Area Framework identifies seven Character Areas to help
everyone understand what is required.
We have suggested the best uses for each area and any points
that need to be taken into account in the design of any
development.
This does not mean separate developments are expected for each
area. Instead the Council is seeking a co-ordinated and
comprehensive development for the whole Town Centre East area.
Area 1 (Wheatsheaf and Yorkshire Street)
- The Wheatsheaf Centre will stay
- The retail offer to be improved with a range of high quality
shops
- The Wheatsheaf Centre will be better linked with the town
centre and the new development
- New and improved pedestrians routes through and around the
Wheatsheaf Centre
- Yorkshire Street to be improved
View larger image: Diagram of
character area 1 (90kb jpg file)
Area 2 (Smith Street and Baillie Street)
- Bus station, car park and municipal offices to be
demolished
- Overhead walkway and bridges to be removed
- Major new retail development close to the existing shopping
area
- Open air shopping streets
- Mix of other uses such as cafes and leisure
- Offices and housing above shops
- New Metrolink terminus on Smith Street if funding for it is
approved
- Short stay car parking
View larger image: Diagram of
character area 2 (89kb jpg file)
Area 3 (Riverside Area)
- Major new office development
- New Council and Impact Partnership offices
- Attractive riverside walk
- Riverside cafes and restaurants
- New housing overlooking river
- Limited parking for offices and housing
- Major retail development not appropriate here
View larger image: Diagram of
character area 3 (98kb jpg file)
Area 4 (John Street West)
- Major gateway into the town centre
- Wide range of uses appropriate
- Medium sized food store
- Major non-food retail not appropriate for whole area
- Entertainment and leisure uses
- Offices
- Hotel
- Food and drink outlets
- Housing
View larger image: Diagram of
character area 4 (86kb jpg file)
Area 5 (New Bus Station)
- Site of new bus station
- Adjoins proposed Metrolink terminus on Smith Street
- Well designed bus station that is attractive, safe, accessible
and pleasant to use
- Includes cafes and newsagents
- Good pedestrian access to and from the town centre
View larger image: Diagram of
character area 5 (89kb jpg file)
Area 6 (Butts Area)
- Key gateway and public open space
- The Butts should be enhanced and improved with improved
facilities for outdoor events and markets
- Provide good pedestrian links to new developments
- Improve existing buildings and frontages
- No major re-development proposed
View larger image: Diagram of
character area 6 (91kb jpg file)
Area 7 (Water Street)
- Retain attractive buildings
- Redevelop underused buildings and areas
- Mix of businesses, offices and housing
- Well designed and high quality riverside buildings
- Create high quality street scene
- No major retail developments
View larger image: Diagram of
character area 7 (75kb jpg file)