Rochdale Borough Council has announced that it is to bid for £40 million worth of levelling up funding, to pave the way for major projects across the area.
Heywood and Middleton, and Rochdale would receive £20 million each should the bid be successful, and it will help contribute towards developments in public transport, highways, culture, and housing.
The council’s cabinet member for economy and regeneration, Councillor John Blundell, said:
“This is a real opportunity for the government to demonstrate that it is serious about moving funding to where it is needed most and reversing the unfairness that has been baked into how we distribute resources as a country.
The bids are part of the council’s plans to bring about a fairer society where no matter where you live, you have the same quality of life and life chances. I hope that the bids for Heywood and Middleton, and Rochdale, are successful so that we can put our plans into action.”
In terms of the Heywood and Middleton part of the bid, new and improved cultural and leisure spaces will be developed, as well as an improvement to the highway network. Access for public transport will be improved thanks to new road layouts. Alongside these developments, a cycling route will be put in to join Heywood’s Civic Centre and the East Lancashire Railway.
In Rochdale, two schemes will be in the centre to the project, focusing on Central Retail Park and Station Square. Central Retail Park is being developed into new, rentable homes and will be renamed. Station Square’s development will be a gateway between the railway station and the town centre, bringing improvements to the station entrance as well as creating a more appealing and welcoming place for people arriving into Rochdale.
