Rochdale needs to rally round to shake off 'most declining' tag

Rochdale Lib Dem Leader, Councillor Andy Kelly has called for Rochdale to "rally round" after the town was labelled the "most declining" area in Britain in a report by the respected Joseph Roundtree Foundation. The report looked at changes in employment rates, levels of highly-qualified workers, the number and type of full-time jobs, net migration rates and population change.

Councillor Andy Kelly said: "These headlines are hugely concerning and this Council should acknowledge its central role in all of this. Everyone knows that we face huge challenges in this Borough and I feel this report is not helpful. This Council though seem to go from one calamity to another. Rochdale continues to hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. I am certain that the bad press generated by Simon Danczuk, supported by the local Labour Party has not helped. Indeed, I would argue it is partly to blame for the mess we're in.

"What our town needs to do now is go back to the drawing board. It shouldn't make excuses nor stick its head in the sand. This Council needs to work with businesses to shake off the 'most declining' tag. Rochdale will be at the heart of any Northern Powerhouse and we need to grasp this opportunity. At the moment, with our Council seen as a 'basket case' by many - it seems a distant ambition.

"This Labour Council spends all of its energy defending our controversial MP and his lurid headlines. Maybe it's time that they put the people of Rochdale first. Only then can we ensure Rochdale comes out of decline and becomes the great place we know it can be."

The 12 cities with the highest levels of relative decline on the index were primarily in northern England. They are (ranked, with the highest first): Rochdale, Burnley, Bolton, Blackburn, Hull, Grimsby, Dundee, Middlesbrough, Bradford, Blackpool, Stoke and Wigan. The next group of 12 includes several in the midlands and in the other countries of the UK. No city in southern England appears in the 24 highest scoring cities.