Broad Lane development: House builders go on PR offensive

Construction company Taylor Wimpey who plan to build 170 new homes off Broad Lane have engaged public relations firm Lexington Communications North in a PR offensive aimed at countering the concerns of local residents who have objected strongly to the planning application.

The company has written to businesses as far away as Nottingham and Preston outlining what they describe as ‘the potential benefit to your business’ of the proposals and is encouraging them to write to the council explaining the so-called ‘benefits to the local economy’.

Local councillor Dale Mulgrew has expressed concern about the PR initiative and in a statement to Rochdale Online said: “This emphatically answers the question why so many letters have all of a sudden arrived in support of this controversial planning application from Taylor Wimpey.

“There definitely seems to be a whiff of political manipulation in the air. It is quite amazing how these letters come from companies in the main who are from outside of Rochdale.

“This is not only very insulting, as how do they know what is best for a town they are not based within, but it also begs the question how this PR company can present companies based in Nottingham and Preston as potential future beneficiaries helping the local Rochdale economy?

“We now know why all the recent letters of support are all saying the same thing in exactly the same way. Surely the PR company involved in pushing this could have co-coordinated this task a little bit better? Or maybe this reveals the distinct lack of arguments they are scrambling to find in support of their client's application.”

Local resident and businessman George Culley, himself an ex-employee of Taylor Wimpey, told Rochdale Online: “This initiative is just stupid. They have written to businesses in Halifax, Huddersfield and Bradford. What do they know about the problems in the area? They would have to use sat nav to find their way here.

“The letter seems to suggest that if they do not support the planning application, local businesses will lose out.

"I am very surprised and disturbed that the company have chosen to resort to these low tactics and will be writing to the directors of Taylor Wimpey as a former engineer with the company expressing my concerns.

"I will also be writing to the council over the next few days.”

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/70751/broad-lane-residents-say-no-to-new-housing-plans  

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/71489/broad-lane-homes-proposal-further-protests-from-residents