Public Meeting about the Future of Rochdale Town Centre - This Thursday!

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen and the Leader of Rochdale Council Alan Taylor are inviting members of the public and town centre traders to a public meeting to discuss the future of Rochdale Town Centre. The meeting, which has been organised by both Mr Rowen and Councillor Taylor, will be held this Thursday (16th July) in Committee Room 3 at Rochdale Town Hall.

The public meeting comes after Mr Rowen and his team spent the weekend launching Rochdale's biggest ever survey of Town Centre Businesses. Surveys were also handed out to hundreds of local residents that attended Rochdale's Feel Good Festival.

Paul Rowen said, "Last weekend was the ideal opportunity to speak to as many local people as possible. The festival was a huge success and it was great to see so many visitors to our Town Centre that wouldn't normally come to Rochdale. It was also great to speak to so many different town centre traders about the issues they are facing at the moment. Many told me about the support they had received from our Council but some also made it clear that there is more that both we and the Government could be doing which is one of the main reasons we have called the public meeting this Thursday.

Paul added: "Another reason we are holding a public meeting is to set out to town centre traders and local residents some of the exciting developments that will be taking place in our town centre over the next few years. For example, work on our new sixth form college and Bus Station has now started, Metrolink is on its way and to cap it all, developers are vying to build a brand new £250million Rochdale Town Centre. I hope that many fellow Rochdalians will come down this Thursday for the event."

Leader of Rochdale Council, Councillor Alan Taylor, said: "For many years I too was a town centre business owner in Rochdale as I use to run a fruit and veg stall so I understand some of the difficulties that local businesses are facing at the moment. This public meeting will help to show local town centre businesses just what help and support their local Council can offer them during this difficult economic climate. I have asked a few of the Council's senior officers to also attend the event and local traders will have the chance to quiz both them and myself about what we are doing for local businesses. I hope to see as many local businesses as possible represented at the meeting this Thursday."