Gracie Fields memorial: “grot spot”

Gracie Fields memorial: a “grot spot”

A memorial to Gracie Fields, located on Molesworth Street, has been described as a “grot spot” by locals and many are wondering what the council is doing to remedy this.

Councillors have been contacted on numerous occasions about renovating the memorial, as long ago as 2011 - the attempts have been met with mixed responses.

Responses have included: 

• “I will follow up with regeneration and heritage”
• “Yes I will progress it”
• “It needs to be cleaned up straight away” 

The memorial is currently on private land and with applications being made for people to use the land, it is hoped that conditions are set to to ensure that the memorial is looked after and preserved. 

Jim Taylor, Chief Executive of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We always want to celebrate our borough’s important historical figures with a fitting legacy.”

“Gracie Fields was a true Rochdale sweetheart and in the 75th year of receiving the Freedom of the Borough Award, it is appropriate to consider how we mark the passing of this milestone year. We will be reviewing options to make sure Gracie Field’s legend lives on.”

However, the Council currently has no plans to renovate the plaque.