Carcraft final plea to Rochdale Development Agency

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Carcraft Managing Director Barry Nightingale has written a final plea to John Hudson, Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency, asking RDA to think again about its refusal to allow Carcraft a plot on the Kingsway Business Park. Carcraft needs to relocate its head office and car dealership in Rochdale and has explained previously to RDA that though it wants to remain in the firm's home town it will be forced to relocate elsewhere, and that will mean local job losses, if RDA do not allow Carcraft to take up a plot on Kingsway.

Mr Nightingale wrote:

"After extensive searching, we are disappointed to find that there are no premises available in Rochdale that suit our requirements other than Kingsway Business Park.  We fail to comprehend the logic behind refusing our request to secure a plot on this massive open space that has not yet been filled and could remain this way for a decade or so to come.  A great deal of marketing would be required to attract new ‘here today gone tomorrow’ companies building monstrous sheds generating few real sustainable jobs due to their mechanical lifting and picking technology.

"Carcraft has been in Rochdale since 1951 and currently employs approximately 500 members of staff.  Our Head Office is based in Rochdale and our expansion plans over the coming years are very exciting.  The owners are proud to be ‘Rochdalians’ and have lived in the town all of their lives.  However, one of the principal shareholders has recently relocated to South Manchester and would obviously now be happy for the business to be relocated somewhere closer to his home. 

"We wish to make one last request that we challenge those who have made the decision, to cut the crazy ‘red tape’ and kindly allow us to purchase a plot on the Kingsway Business Park Development.  It is rumoured that Kingsway is not inundated with enquiries and nor is it near saturation point.  Excluding speculative build, the lack of tangible interest should be further reason to consider our request.  Lets face it other businesses who don’t have loyalty to the town are unlikely to choose this outpost of Greater Manchester as a preferred location without financial inducement.

"Carcraft has opened many sites across the country and because our planning is ‘sui-generis’ all our sites are on industrial estates mirroring Kingsway.  No industrial location has refused us permission mainly because of the variety of jobs we provide.

"On our initial enquiries we were looking for a 20 acre + plot, however after giving this further consideration we believe we could accommodate our head office and car site on approximately 12 acres.  There are many other alternative sites available to us; however they are not within our town which is where Carcraft began.  We know that the millions of pounds we have spent on marketing (TV, radio and press campaigns) have assisted in ‘putting Rochdale back on the map’ and attracts visitors to the town and we feel it is time for a little payback on this investment.  If we could acquire a plot on this industrial estate at a sensible price we would like to proceed.  Our ideal location would either be one with motorway frontage on the edge of the estate or at the entrance to Kingsway directly across from Gordon Riggs.  We believe both of these locations would also suit you as you would prefer us not to be in the heart of the site, where most of the tin sheds will be.

"We do understand that the quality of some of the land would actually benefit from having hard surfacing rather than buildings.

"We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest opportunity.  We believe there is an answer to every problem and all it takes is the community to find a solution.  Please assist us in making a last ditch attempt to find a solution before we are forced to vacate the town."

Jim Dobbin MP said: "If it means keeping local jobs for local people I would certainly welcome a move to Kingsway."

Peter Hill, deputy chief executive at Rochdale Development Agency, on behalf of the Kingsway Partnership said: “We still want to explore every opportunity to help retain Carcraft in the borough and we are doing everything possible to make this happen.

"The option still remains for Carcraft to locate a large part of their operations on the Kingsway Business Park, including their headquarters and car preparation facilities but planning regulations does not lend itself for a car forecourt. 

"We have however, been helping Carcraft identify alternative sites for the outdoor sales area and showroom and we are still awaiting Carcraft’s response as to whether they have explored them.

"Kingsway is a long term project that will deliver more than 7,250 jobs and already we have 80 live enquiries from businesses within and outside Rochdale interested in moving there.

"Kingsway offers quality building developments for offices; hotels; leisure use; business services as well as quality industrial units with brick fronted buildings with glazed office space - definitely not tin sheds. 

"As well as welcoming businesses from right across the borough and wider region, there is a specific target marketing initiative directed at growth sector industries including advanced manufacturing companies, financial organisations, business services, call centres and ICT companies. 

"We expect 1,000 new jobs to be created over the next three years. The job creation has huge potential to benefit local businesses – and this would include Carcraft.

"We are meeting Carcraft early in the New Year and we hope to continue working with them over the coming months to secure their long-term involvement in the borough."