Town centre master plan unveiled
The council has unveiled a bold new vision for the
future of Rochdale town centre.
The Town Centre Masterplan reveals ambitious plans including the
creation of the largest public square in England (around the Town
Hall), a new world-class water feature to trace the length of the
river beneath, and new creative, learning and cultural
quarters.
View the plans in full and tell us what you
think
Within the master plan there are seven key themes:
- A new, pedestrianised Town Hall Square – designed to be the
largest public square in England, comparable to the outdoor space
you find in European cities. This has the potential to be used for
large, high quality events and will be designed with specialist
lighting, a bespoke water feature and high-quality paving and rest
areas.
- A learning and cultural quarter – building on the existing
proximity of the Town Hall, Touchstones and Hopwood Hall, new
buildings will be introduced to strengthen the cultural offer.
Connections between existing and new buildings will be improved by
creating safe and pleasant crossings and spaces between them and by
transforming the area behind the Town Hall, removing overgrown
trees to showcase Packer Spout, St Chad’s Church and to provide a
route between Hopwood Hall College and the Town Hall.
- Town Centre East – Multi-million pound redevelopment to create
a new retail heart along with leisure facilities and car parking.
These plans are already underway with work due to start in
2012.
- A circular boulevard – described as the ‘front door’, the
boulevard provides a circular edge to the town centre. It’ll be
improved with better use of trees, crossing points and design
features. A new street will be created to connect Drake Street to
Wood Street and the whole of the boulevard will provide definition
for the different areas of the town centre.
- Green Valley – A garden city for the 21st century. The idea is
to permeate the town with green spaces, combining rural and urban
landscape to provide a connected network of green spaces for people
to enjoy. Greenery will also be used to define the circular
boulevard, with trees planted to reflect and enhance the natural
characteristics of the landscape.
- Pioneer’s route – Celebrating the pioneering spirit that
enabled Rochdale to flourish, a new route will be created through
the town centre, linking events and destinations connected to our
pioneering heritage. The route links Hopwood Hall and Central
Leisure through the Town Hall, new Town Centre East development and
new municipal offices. References to the pioneers will be made at
different points on the route, weaving the pioneering spirit of old
into the fabric of the new.
- Place for People – this theme is about defining different parts
of the town centre that make up the cohesive whole. It breaks the
town centre into a series of diverse zones, each of which
contributes to the unique offering that Rochdale has overall.
Members of the council’s Rochdale Township Committee will be
asked to comment on the master plan draft at this weeks meeting. It
will then go out to public consultation in October before a final
decision is made.
Questions and answers
What is the town centre master plan?
It’s a blue print for the future of Rochdale town centre. It
sets out a clear vision and an outline plan covering what we think
the town centre could look like and how we will get there in the
short, medium and long term.
Why do we need a “master plan”?
Without a plan, we won’t know where we’re going – and nor will
anyone else. The plan helps us clarify our position within the city
region and to articulate what Rochdale has to offer. It also helps
other people to see what is planned in a clear way – and to have
their say on it. Once decided, it enables us to make more detailed,
complementary plans to deliver what we say we’re going to.
Who has come up with it?
The study was commissioned on behalf of the Rochdale Town Centre
Committee and aims to develop a vision and set out design delivery
frameworks. It aims to inspire a step change in town centre
perception and management, provide direction for public sector
investment and capture the opportunity to develop a ‘heritage
quarter’ including opportunities for the historic town hall. It
also provides proposals which complement other town centre
initiatives.
Consultants have reviewed the policy, previous consultations and
studies.
We have also had a stakeholder walkabout and workshop to gather
the big ideas. Stakeholders included representatives from Rochdale
Borough Council, Rochdale Development Agency, Rochdale Town Centre
Management Company, Environment Agency, Cyclist Association of GB,
RADDAG, LSP Cultural Partnership, Hopwood Hall College, GMPTE,
Councillors, Rochdale Town Centre Churches, Salvation Army, Greater
Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
Workshops ensued where stakeholders were given the opportunity
to develop the ideas further culminating in the draft
Masterplan.
How does it fit with the borough master plan and other
plans?
The borough master plan sets out the vision for the physical
regeneration of the borough as a whole. This plan deals only with
Rochdale Town Centre. The two complement each other. It also fits
with more technical planning documents and both this and the new
Local Development Framework (LDF) will be consulted on at the same
time. This plan sets a vision for the town centre which will inform
the proposals of the LDF. The Renaissance Masterplan will look at
major projects across the whole of the Borough and will embrace the
four priority projects which will emerge from this town centre
masterplan. These will be: Town centre east, Town Hall, Drake
Street, Southern gateway i.e. station/ Metrolink/McClure Road/
redevelopment of central retail park/ completion of ring road
through Wood Street link to drake Street.
Is it all achievable?
Yes. The master plan is deliberately bold and ambitious, but
also achievable. Clearly a lot of the detail still needs to be
worked out, but the plan is to aim high from the outset – that way
we’re much more likely to get a positive outcome in the future.
Has any of it already started?
Yes. There has already been an in principle decision to bring
Metrolink to the town centre by 2012. There are plans in place to
demolish the council’s ‘black box’ building in the town centre and
replace it state of the art riverside offices and retail offer and
the town Centre East development is on track. The sixth form
college is now under construction and you will see more evidence of
development activity in the actual town centre during 2010.
If the whole thing is implemented, how much will it
cost?
It’s difficult to say at this stage as each project within it
will need to be worked out separately. What we can say is there
will be up to £500m invested in the town centre. This includes;
Metrolink 3B £33m, Town Centre East, £259m, Council offices, £60m,
Central Leisure Centre, £8m, Town Hall, potentially £15m, Transport
Interchange, £12m, 6th Form College, £12m, other projects £50m. We
have a brilliant opportunity to re-shape the town for this
generation and for the benefit of the next generations.
How can I have my say?
At the moment, the plan is a draft for consultation. During
October there will be a chance for people to have their say, via
the local media, council magazine and their website. You can also
email renaissance@rochdale.gov.uk
The masterplan will be developed into a formal ‘Supplementary
Planning Document’ starting in 2010 and this will be subject of
extensive consultation. This document will take the ideas in the
masterplan and set out specific proposals for development.
Are there going to be similar plans for Middleton and
Heywood town centres?
Middleton is already receiving major investment. Work on a new
Tesco superstore in the town centre is now underway, together with
highways improvements. The new Middleton Arena celebrates its first
birthday shortly and plans are well underway for a new joint
service centre in the town centre. Heywood will get a new Sports,
Leisure and Culture and a new joint service centre – ‘The Phoenix
Centre’ opens in October 2009.