Council Leader's column

Kellett Street Allotments

An Oasis down Kellett Street

I had the pleasure of visiting a charity open day at the Growth Project on Saturday long with Councillor Amna Mir and Tony Lloyd MP. What an amazing place it is - and all created by volunteers from Rochdale Mind. Thanks to everyone who visited during the day to enjoy the marvellous floral displays and prize-winning vegetables and fruit.

Billy sets sail

If you're passing Manchester Road in Castleton stop by and take a look at 'Billy's Barge' a replica vessel flooded with a riot of colour and created with the help of our very own Billy Sheerin for this year's Britain In Bloom effort. What is it with water with our Billy? One week he's saving Cassy Baths the next he's launching a mock barge down by the canal. Some villagers say he's got webbed feet.

Ticket to ride

Travel across Greater Manchester just got easier with the next phase of the smart ticketing scheme, get me there.

For the first time you can now use the get me there smart card for all journeys on any bus or tram in Greater Manchester.

The get me there card has so far only been available to concessionary Metrolink customers but it now provides a range of Metrolink and combined bus and tram tickets on a single smart card for all travellers.

Fuelling anger

Since the present government came to power in 2010, gas prices have rocketed by 49%. So much for their promise to cap fuel prices.

Investing in Middleton

An investor has acquired the booming Stakehill Industrial Estate in a deal worth more than £46 million.

The 50-acre site is one of the largest warehouse and distribution parks in the North West with 679,845 square feet of space across 45 units.

It has been snapped up by UBS Triton Property Fund and is the 13th industrial site in its portfolio.

They said it was a "rare and highly sought after opportunity to acquire a prime industrial asset of significant scale located in one of the country's strongest distribution locations". 

Couldn't have put it better myself.

It's Blooming marvellous

Well, the judging for Britain In Bloom is over for another year. Congratulations to the hundreds of volunteers and council staff who pulled out all the stops to create some dazzling displays and helped make our borough shine.

Right across the categories, this year was our best effort yet. Let's hope we improve on the barrow-load of gongs we picked up last year and best of luck to Middleton Township who entered the competition for the first time.

Children paying the price for austerity?

There are 10,000 fewer teachers nationwide than in 2010 when the Tories came to power.

Not welcome here

Far right groups have held demos on consecutive weekends now in Rochdale town centre - with the cost well in excess of £100,000 for each demo in police and council staff time.

The police had to send 400 officers to watch over what was little more than a handful of drunken idiots.

They tried to stir up division and hatred but they failed. Our united and peaceful communities are much stronger than their hate and prejudice.

In view of the huge cost and disruption caused I have asked the Home Secretary to ban future protests for at least 12 months.

Poor show in the Rochdale Observer

I have also written to the Rochdale Observer to complain about the extensive coverage they gave to the protests.

A double page full of colourful photos gave them what they crave the most: publicity for their pathetic rantings.

Rochdale has been hammered recently with negative publicity. Just when is the Rochdale Observer going to put some good news on their front pages?

Minister goes off the track

Another letter I fired off this week was to the transport minister Chris Grayling demanding assurances for investment in rail transport in the north.

It is scandalous the government has scrapped plans to electrify the line between Manchester and Leeds.

I can't underestimate how important it is to the future prosperity of our region. It's another example of the bias this government continually shows towards London. We are being treated like second class citizens.

Co-op 99

I enjoyed a tasty Saturday along with Councillors James Garside, Janet Emsley, Cecile Biant and Surinder Biant at the Pioneers Museum's Tea and Biscuits event celebrating 150 years of tea trading by the Co-op.

A Revolution in my office

I did an extensive interview this week for Revolution Radio about rail investment cuts to the north and what it means for our borough. 

We're all in it together

Rochdale Borough Council has to make further eye watering £39 million worth of cuts over the next two years. 

I met the Highway man

I have had a very useful meeting with the head of the Highways Agency in the North West. He updated me on improvements planned for the network, including the Smart motorway work on the M60 nearing completion.

I told him the standard of maintenance at junctions 19, 20 and 21 of the M62 and the A627M at Slattocks and Rochdale - all major gateways to the borough - were unacceptable. He says he will look into sorting it.

That's high tech progress

After only a few weeks into my job as the city region's Digital supremo, Manchester has been named the 3rd most active high tech innovative city in the UK.

We're streets ahead

The council is investing an extra £2 million investment into improving our streets and repairing potholes and work hit the road this week (31 July 2017) with the start of the first major resurfacing scheme.

The £440,000 project, the biggest highways scheme of 2017/18, will resurface Yorkshire Street and Halifax Road. Work on the stretch of road, which is one of the busiest routes in the borough, will also increase safety by improving skid resistance. All businesses will remain open as usual.

Time to catch up

The most disadvantaged children are two years behind their better off classmates by the time they sit their GCSEs, says the Education Policy Institute. At current rate of progress, it will take 50 years before parity is reached.

Business is buzzing

Do you know anyone who runs a small business in the borough? Get them to exhibit at this year's Small Biz Show on 20 September. 

Cheer up it's the Feel Good Festival

The Rochdale Feel Good Festival weekend (Friday, 11 August 2017 to Saturday 12 August 2017). Be there.

Councillor Richard Farnell
Leader
Rochdale Borough Council