Retail giant to help secure a thriving Middleton

Construction of the new Middleton Arena will start early this year after Tesco signed legal contracts.

This final agreement means the supermarket chain has committed to delivering the new £13 million, state-of-the-art leisure and civic facilities in the heart of the town, before building a £10 million Tesco Extra store nearby.

The plans, which have been spearheaded by Rochdale Development Agency and the Council, have included more than two years of community consultation.

The store will see the creation of around 220 new jobs and safeguard 110. The civic and leisure centre, to be built on cleared land near Assheton Way, will safeguard a further 50 jobs.

Councillor Ian Robertson, chairman of the Middleton Township Committee, welcomed the completion of contracts. 

He said: “It is an exciting time for Middleton and in the New Year we are going to see visible progress in the delivery of much improved town centre facilities. This is a major step forward in replacing outdated buildings that are costly to run with new, modern amenities, which will be attractive to local people of all ages, as well as being environmentally efficient.

“It will also eventually mean that families will not have to leave Middleton to find a major supermarket.”

The new arena which will cover a surface area of 7,300 square metres will include:

• two swimming pools
• a sports hall
• dance studios
• squash courts
• contours gym
• modern civic facilities with offices and public spaces
  

The developments are part of Rochdale Development Agency’s Masterplan for Middleton, which also includes proposals for a new post office, relocation of the market, new car parking provision and improved shops.

The improvements will also complement the new bus station and first phase of an extension to the shopping centre, which are both now in place. 

John Hudson of Rochdale Development Agency, said: “The levels of private and public investment currently earmarked for Middleton demonstrate a real confidence in safeguarding the future of Middleton as a thriving town with lots to offer current and future generations.”

The Arena, which will be built by Barr Construction, is expected to take around 15–18 months to complete before work starts on the Tesco store.