A hat trick of announcements has cemented Middleton’s renewed regeneration drive, as its Mayoral Development Corporation continues to take shape.
Among them is news that the Middleton Old Grammar School, recently bought by the council, is expected to announce a new tenant before the end of the year.
Founded in 1582, the building in Boarshaw Road aimed to provide free education to children in the parish of Middleton. More recently, it was used as a wedding and events venue before the council took the opportunity to buy the heritage asset when it went up for sale. A feasibility study is now on going, with a view to the building being repaired, refurbished and reopened for community use in the future.
The news was announced at an event at Middleton Arena to update residents and businesses about the results of an engagement exercise titled, ‘Our Town, Our Future’ and on going work to create a Mayoral Development Corporation to further drive regeneration in the town. Chaired by the proposed chairs of Middleton’s MDC, Steve Coogan and Rose Marley, and attended by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, and Rochdale Borough Council leader, Councillor Neil Emmott, the event attracted more than 500 residents and local business leaders.
The announcements followed news that the council is in the process of acquiring long derelict Warwick Mill and neighbouring 1960s office block, London House, with a view to bringing the mill back into use, possibly as new homes, and demolishing London House.
In a further boost, attendees also learned that the Middleton Scout Hut will be repurposed as a community venue, with a full programme of activities and training opportunities for young people.
The council owned venue on Long Street has been vacant for 13 years and the council has now agreed a long-term lease with charitable organisation, the Groundwork Trust.
Proposals for the building include the creation of a hub for workshops to teach ecology and construction skills. The building will also serve as a base for local environmental projects, and, while opportunities for young people will be a key focus, it will also be a space for community groups to get together to help tackle social isolation.
The Groundwork team will now work with the council to make improvements to the property before it opens sometime next year.
The initiative will be a welcome boost, with more than half of the almost 2,000 people who responded to the engagement exercise saying they wanted to see more provision for young people in the area.
Also announced at the Middleton Arena event was the news that post office and banking facilities will return to Middleton town centre early in the new year. The post office has been without a town centre venue after the business it was housed in, TJ Jones, closed in July this year. Post office representative, Sam Williams, announced from the stage that a new town centre location has been agreed in principle and residents can expect it be up and running early next year. The announcement came on the back of feedback from the engagement exercise, which showed that 65 per cent of people see lack of banking services in Middleton town centre as an issue.
The improvements are taking place as part of a wider regeneration of Middleton town centre, which will be led by a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) for the area, which is currently being formed and will be run along cooperative lines.
Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said:
“We’re serious about Middleton’s continued regeneration and that’s why we’re already under way with some big projects in this area; projects that local people have told us are a priority for them.
There’s a long way to go, but we’re off to a really good start. What I saw at the recent ‘Our Town, Our Future’ event was a huge number of residents, businesses and community groups who all came together on a rainy night for one reason; because they’re passionate about Middleton and want to help drive the change they want to see.
We will be with them every step of the way and supporting in any way we can, and the MDC, driven by Steve and Rose, will give Middletonians even more power to change their town for the better.”