Cabinet member hits out at charity’s ‘childish’ criticism of train station plan images

The cabinet behind plans to regenerate Littleborough train station has hit out at a local charity’s ‘childish’ criticism of artist’s impressions released in support of the scheme.

CGI images were released as part of a public consultation on a document that would ‘provide a development strategy for the Littleborough Station area’.

It is part of a wider ‘rail corridor strategy’, which aims to create 7,000 new homes and jobs around the borough’s five railway stations.

When a six-week consultation launched last month, Littleborough Civic Trust mocked the images produced by the council in order to give locals an idea of what it had in mind.
 

Read more: Artist’s impressions of council’s regeneration plans for Littleborough branded ‘ridiculous’ by civic trustPublished: 03 November 2021

The charity – formed in 1971 – said the visualisations were highly inaccurate and had produced ‘raucous laughter’ at one of its recent meetings.

Council bosses had previously accepted images produced for the Castleton station consultation could have been better.

But Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for the economy, has launched a scathing attack on the trust, telling its leaders to ‘grow up’.

Meanwhile, the trust insists it has taken the regeneration consultation ‘very seriously’ and defended its right to hold the council ‘to account’.

Councillor Blundell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The Littleborough Civic Trust is supposed to be a charitable trust which looks after the built environment of Littleborough.

“But instead of taking the consultation seriously – and thinking about what ideas they can put forward for Littleborough and what they want the village to look like they have decided to act childishly by going through a CGI they know is an artist’s impression.

“The current leadership has not been able to engage with the council in an appropriate manner and, because they have not been able to come up with any ideas themselves, they are effectively making the charity irrelevant.”

Councillor Blundell is frequently criticised by the trust, particularly over the Places for Everyone plan which proposes hundreds of new homes in the area.

The economy cabinet member – who lives in the town – accuses the charity of working beyond its remit ‘to look after the built environment of Littleborough’.

“I think it’s very sad seeing something that could be a real vehicle for residents to decide their own future has been taken over by people that don’t know what they are doing and have a hatred of the Labour Party and it’s sad to see,” he added.

 

 

On the subject of the CGIs, Councillor Blundell echoed comments made by Mark Robinson, the council’s assistant director of economy, who said these were to give a ‘general sense’ of the proposals, rather than an ‘exact illustration’.

He continued: “Those images – if you wanted them to look like a Google Street View of what it could look like – would cost thousands of pounds, which is a waste of taxpayers’ money.

“Most councils don’t produce images like this because of childish behaviour from groups with poor leadership like Littleborough Civic Trust.

“We don’t want to get into a position where the council chooses not to create images, because I want to be as transparent and get as much information as possible to the people of Littleborough.”

The trust has issued a strenuous rebuttal of Councillor Blundell’s claims.

A spokesperson said: We [The Trust] have taken the SPD consultation very seriously, extensively engaging with council officers on both October 18 and 21 – even asking for further consultation. We have taken it so seriously that we recently took part in a webinar with the government’s chief planner.

“The trust believe they are entitled to take the council to account on any matter affecting Littleborough irrespective of the council’s political colour. There is no wish or desire within the Trust for political ping-pong.”

The trust also sticks by its criticism of the ‘inaccurate CGIs and plan drawings’, which it says ‘will already have cost the council a fortune’.

The charity’s statement continues: “Councillor Blundell was not present at either session at Hare Hill House but was present at two of the three workshops held in 2020 when the Littleborough Station masterplan was being discussed. There was no community engagement at that stage!

“Littleborough Civic Trust has been established for 50 years and is made up of former and current very professional people who take their roles extremely seriously, in representing the people of Littleborough.”

People in Littleborough can view and comment on the proposals here.

Alternatively, paper copies are available at Littleborough Library and Number One Riverside, in Rochdale town centre.

Comments can also be made by e-mail to LDF.consultation@rochdale.gov.uk or by post to Strategic Planning, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale, OL16 1XU.

All comments must be received by 21 November.

Nick Statham, Local Democracy Reporting Service