Funding boost for College Bank and Lower Falinge

College Bank Way in Spotland and Falinge

The Government’s 'Estate Regeneration Fund' has allocated £563,000 towards looking at improvements at College Bank and Lower Falinge.

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) has been awarded £518,000 and Rochdale Borough Council £45,000.

Clare Tostevin, RBH director of communities, said: “We are delighted that the Government has allocated grant funding to support our work in College Bank and Lower Falinge and that we received the full amount that we bid for. We will be using this funding to continue our work with the community to develop proposals and ensure that they can offer the best possible outcomes for both current and future residents in Rochdale town centre. We are at the very start of this work and this funding will help us to identify and secure the additional investment we expect to make with our partners in these communities.

"When the Government announced the Estate Regeneration Fund we said that central Rochdale was an area that needed additional investment. We will continue to work with all those who live and work in these neighbourhoods to identify how additional investment could be best used. This grant will help us to do that.”

Rochdale Online revealed in November 2016 that RBH had confirmed that options being considered for College Bank and Lower Falinge could result in 'some level of demolition':

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/106272

Following two sets of community workshops to discuss early ideas, RBH says it is still listening to the views of local people before developing more detailed proposals for discussion in April.

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk attended both workshops - he told Rochdale Online: "I attended both consultations at College Bank Flats and Falinge Estate, and spoke to a number of residents, none of whom were happy about demolition.

"I agree with senior management that people aren’t queuing up at my surgery for a place in College Bank Flats. However, they certainly are queuing up in my surgery to complain about poor management of the flats, which is where the real problem lies. If the flats were better managed, then they would be more desirable places to live.

"This whole approach is typical of the attitude of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing. The whole senior management needs shaking up, which I made clear to Noel Chambers, chairman of RBH, when we met earlier this month."

This is not the first time Mr Danczuk has criticised RBH for ‘poor management’ of College Bank flats:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/108103/

Former Mayor Robin Parker has also joined Simon Danczuk in opposing demolition of ‘iconic Seven Sisters':

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/108325/

'Save College Bank' did not respond to an invitation to comment.