Site cleared in preparation for major investment

Duncan Cooper of Rochdale Development Agency (front) with Mike Quigley Groundwork Supervisor (left) and volunteer Matthew Taylor (right).

A disused mill in Rochdale has been demolished and the surrounding area landscaped to pave the way for future investment.

The Grove Mill on Oldham Road had fallen into severe disrepair and has been demolished so the site can be landscaped by charity Groundwork.

This initial work at the junction with Durham Street is part of the Brighter Futures proposal for the Oldham Road area of Inner Rochdale, involving Rochdale Development Agency, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), Oldham Rochdale HMR Pathfinder and Rochdale Council.

Duncan Cooper, Project Officer of Rochdale Development Agency, said: "The Brighter Futures proposal will take place over the next 10 to 15 years and presents a major opportunity for people living and working in the area. It will involve attracting a private sector development partner to help provide a wider choice of housing and employment opportunities, generating development."

With the support from the NWDA and HMR, acquisitions of sites have now started within the Oldham Road area and the work at Grove Mill is the first site clearance.

Mr Cooper continued: “We are looking at areas along the Oldham Road corridor and canal that we can improve ahead of creating detailed development plans for the area. The Brighter Futures proposals will take a number of years to bring to fruition, however we think it is important that we carry out work wherever possible to make the area more attractive and to prime it for future development.”

Mark Hughes, Executive Director of Economic Development, at the NWDA, said: “During the current economic climate it is important to get sites ready for future development when the market has picked up. The site is an important corridor for Rochdale, this work will not only encourage private sector development, but will create a better natural environment for local people.”

The team from Groundwork are planting wildflowers which will flourish in early summer and have cleared the area of debris, cut back shrubs and are busy creating a new pathway. Groundwork employs a number of local people and volunteers.

Landscape supervisor, Mike Quigley, of Heywood, has been with the charity for ten years. He said: “We work in a lot of regeneration areas and the Oldham Road area has some disused and derelict sites that could be improved in the future. The wildflowers will bloom into a variety of colours, making the site much more pleasant for passers-by.”