Work on new Hollingworth Lake Animal Centre to begin in September

Work begins soon on The Hollingworth Lake Animal Centre, formerly the Hollingworth Lake Visitor Centre

Work to transform the former Hollingworth Lake Visitors Centre into the new modern home of the Rochdale and District RSPCA is to begin in early September.

The existing visitor centre will be refurbished and extended to include a larger café (with a dog-friendly seating area), improved toilet facilities, upgraded reception and information area, plus a meeting room for community activities and new premises for the country park rangers.

The first works on the new Hollingworth Lake Animal Centre will include the closure of the café, removing several trees to open the view from the café and closing the 250-space car park whilst the ‘ranger’s pod’ is constructed with an aim to be installed in early October.

David Canavan, vice-chair of trustees for the RSPCA's Rochdale branch, confirmed that some of the trees to be removed are diseased, and two more will be planted in place of every tree removed.

Planning permission for the new state-of-the-art facility was granted earlier this year and is a partnership between Rochdale RSPCA, Rochdale Borough Council, YourTrust (formerly Link4Life), and Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH).

Mr Canavan added: “More than a third of the facilities will be for the public including a new public café with a dog-friendly section, a meeting room, reception desk for information and renovated toilets.

“I hope visitors to Hollingworth Lake will value the new café, public meeting room and new facilities.”

Screens with pictures of wildlife and the animals available for adoption will also be installed around the centre.

The Rochdale branch of the RSPCA was established in 1890 on Redcross Street. The Redcross Street site has been bought by RBH and will be developed for new homes in the town centre.

The new Hollingworth Lake Animal Centre is expected to open in early 2022 and will allow the local branch to rehabilitate more wildlife than at its town centre location.