Green light for Strand facelift

Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) has given the green light to an environmental improvement scheme on The Strand, Kirkholt.

The intent is to improve the appearance of the local area, as well as upgrading security to make local residents and businesses safer.

Longer-term regeneration plans for The Strand and the Kirkholt neighbourhood are being developed by RBH, the council and the local community.

Gareth Swarbrick, Chief Executive of RBH, said: "RBH recognises the importance of The Strand as the commercial heart of Kirkholt. These environmental improvements will make a real difference to residents and businesses, and are just one part of our commitment to regeneration in the local area.

"We're delighted that our excellent NEAT Team trainees, working in partnership with Groundwork Oldham & Rochdale, will have another opportunity to showcase their work, and we're grateful to Rochdale Council for their support".

Working together with local ward councillors and Rochdale Council, who have helped contribute towards the cost of the work, the package of improvements agreed upon by RBH includes:

• Painting to shop shutters and masonry. 
• New street furniture, including improved bins and planters. 
• Improved lighting - which has already been completed. 
• New environmental landscaping and replacement flags. 

The work will be carried out by the Neighbourhood Environmental Action Team (NEAT). The first phase of works (hard landscaping) will start on 24 June and will last for 5 weeks. The second phase (planting) is scheduled to be undertaken in October, when the weather will be more conducive to this activity.

The NEAT initiative is a partnership between RBH & Groundwork Oldham Rochdale designed to tackle worklessness, provide training to unemployed local people and to upgrade the local environment. Along with sister project the Green Team, the NEAT Team has now carried out over 170 projects across the Borough.