GMCA and Rochdale to pursue MDC for Middleton
With approval in principle given, officers will work up more detailed proposals for a mayoral development corporation driving regeneration in a town centre “that has been left behind”.
Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s meeting on Friday considered a report from Manchester Leader Cllr Bev Craig and Tom Stannard, portfolio lead for economy, business and inclusive growth.
The MDC could cover up to 200 acres, and look to take forward ideas set out in Rochdale Council’s Middleton masterplan of 2022. The local authority’s cabinet gave its backing in April.
Cllr Craig told the meeting; “This is a really good example of making sure we do everything we can to get behind places that have got a plan. What Rochdale have done with their 2022 masterplan shows their commitment.”
GM Mayor Andy Burnham said he welcomed the report, and improving places that, to use the phrase of Rochdale Leader Cllr Neil Emmott, “”once prosperous towns that have been left behind”.
Burnham continued: “Approving this in principle is symbolic, and shows that we’re getting on with levelling-up places by ourselves. There’s a logic here in linking with the work happening in Victoria North, and more development in Middleton will in turn strengthen the case for better transport connectivity.”
As set out in the report, Middleton suffers from development constraints, market failure and viability issues typically associated with brownfield, town centre sites.
Fragmented land ownership and limited council holdings limit what the market can deliver and how council intervention can unlock development.
Projects such as the refurbishment of Warwick Mill into 300 apartments, the improvement of the shopping centre and adjacent sites to revivify the area, and the redevelopment of Middleton Arena incorporating health and youth services are all mentioned.
An MDC, as set up by GMCA for Stockport Town Centre West in 2019, would give the focus, coordination and consistent delivery and broadened powers to accelerate development.
Powers to acquire, offer financial assistance, plan-make and offer discretionary rates relief are among the tools an MDC can wield.
The model is also being rolled out into Stockport Town Centre East, while plans are also in the works for Old Trafford and at Northern Gateway, the masterplan area where Rochdale and Bury both have a stake.
The main topic now is to identify the scope of the single site that will be covered. Next steps as far as exploring an MDC’s establishment include
- Governance arrangements, including board composition
- Resources available to the MDC, principally staff
- Devolved powers, including planning and CPO powers
- Arrangements for the statutory consultation on the MDC.
Options for alternative delivery routes will be explored to confirm the most appropriate route to delivering Rochdale Council’s objectives, the report said.
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Middleton will never undergo redevelopment it seems. Stories like this come up every few years
By Anonymous
What about the old Providence Church ?
By Mike Goldsmith
Rochdale Council have been promising to develop Warwick Mill for years now and nothing has ever come of it in the meantime it has been left to crumble and rot together with all the listed buildings in Middleton. People are sick of Neil Emmott grandstanding and giving us nothing!
By Anonymous
Seem very few population in Middleton area, the most build is old and tired those area never facelift building and Re-development in Middleton North Manchester.
By G J Kitchener
Middleton has been in decline ever since it become part of Rochdale MBC in 1974; joining Manchester would have been a better option. Since then most investment has been concentrated in Rochdale to the detriment of other towns in the authority, and whilst a MDC is a positive step forward there’s a need for some bold, transformative initiatives that will make a real difference. A start could be made by making a FIRM commitment to extend the tram network to Middleton, one of the few towns in Greater Manchester without a train link.
By Anonymous
The Arena should be used for the youth 12 to 16 there should be something like the Cuvic back in the 70s ..it’s was the place kids looked forward to for what was a disco back in the day.
Somewhere to hang out dance meet your mates.
Nothing like this in Middleton
Let’s give the kids a break .
We had it all disco youth clubs. Clubs
By Yvonne Baxendale
Middleton should have its own council back
Rochdale is taking all our money and spending it in Rochdale I.e useless cycle paths what a waste of tax payers money
By Malcolm richardson
The only way Warick Mill will get the proposed 300 apartments is by putting a compulsory order on it to stop it being used as a ping pong by foreign investors who are landbanking it.
By Mike Morris
@Anonymous June 4th at 10.25pm
Absolutely true because my best friend who is live in Middleton he said GMCA is never giving Middleton town Re-redevelopment and progress, facelift and update since 1970s. I just wonder WHY WHY? what wrong with Middleton?
By G J Kitchener
A positive move that needs to be implemented. The area lacks connectivity like other towns which is hindering progress. Let’s hope also that the Arena improves and Warwick Mill gets developed too.
By Zafar Iqbal
You have already destroyed Castlton and Rochdale, keep your ridiculous ideas locked up in a safe place.
By Nigel harper
Middleton has no soul anymore. How many more takeaways, nail bars, hairdressers, barbers and charity shops can there be?. Who wants to come to Middleton to shop when there are no decent shops. It used to be a thriving community now its a lost soul.
By Anonymous
It’s about time too after all the money wasted on projects in Rochdale just to make it look good and still not a town I want to visit due to the high crime rate when not just Middleton has been ignored all these years but Heywood also.
By Robert Mudd
Have heard this sort of thing countless times now…put your money where your mouth is
A town which is a stone’s throw from the centre of manchester, with such great road links, and has absolutely no investment is a crime
There have been promises for so long, yet nothing has been delivered
A cash I ejection, a facelift and some commerce landing in Middleton, with some improved transport links would save this town
The people who live here deserve it, stop talking about it, get it done!
By Andy
@Anonymous June 05 at 07.02am and @Robert Mudd June 05 at 08.22am
Totally agreed with both of you Anonymous and Robert Mudd. Most crime in Middleton knife, drugs and Anti behaviour really high rate. And no train and no tram in Middleton seem caused by lots problem those town. Both of you is absolutely right.
By G J Kitchener
Parking is a major issue in the town unless you’re shopping at Tesco.
By David Nuttall
Too many derelict sites in middleton not being developed used to be a lovely town but now neglected by Rochdale council where all the money is spent
By Anonymous
It’s never going to happen same old story year after year
By Anonymous
Heywood overlooked again
By Lone wolf
We have more shops opening up in our town than most small towns
By Dennis brabiner
Rochdale has Nye Bevan and Croft Shifa centre. Heywood has Phoenix centre. Middleton has none, over the years Middleton has been promised a health centre. An ideal place would be the old Wilkinson site, suitable and accessible for all. On a bus route plenty of parking spaces. It is an ordeal to go to Rochdale Nye Bevan no direct bus from the town centre ,no where to park.give us our own health centre.
By Christine Abbott
All these complaints about local government not doing enough; yet folk vote for polical parties with policiesd of less government, less taxation more free market economy more pure capitalism; so let the capitalists sort out these problems. We are not part of Europe anymore; we are Americanized. If towns become ghost towns that is what “the Market” has decided. If that is your policial choice, then live with it. Twenty years of Marketism leave their mark.
By Anonymous
I suppose Heywood is being ignored as usual
By Dennis
Well as long as you keep off our greenbelt we will be happy. There are to many new housing developments in Middleton already that has taken the majority of the fields and wildlife away from us we don’t need any more. Use the brownfield sites but stop using our green belt. Like the 1600 houses you want to build in slattocks which is apart of Middleton not Castleton like everywhere keeps stating. Build on the all in one site just not all the green belt behind it. Your already trying to build 300 houses round the corner at Stakehill plus more green industrial units even though stake hill has so many units un occupied. Middleton is a small town not a city.
By Natalie Anderson