Heywood Town Team community event

Heywood Town Team community event

Heywood Town Team recently held their first community event to help them discuss ideas to help revitalise Heywood.

The town team was set up last September and is made up of public and private sector organisations and community representatives.

The aim of the team’s first meeting was to discuss progress that the team have already made and to discuss further ideas to help the town.

Debbie Hernon, Chief Executive of Rochdale Town Centre Management, gave a presentation regarding the future of town centres and Mark Widdup, Director of Economy and Environment at Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council, gave a presentation regarding communities working together.

Those in attendance then took part in workshops to come up with future ideas for the town before those ideas were discussed.

Frances Fielding, from Rochdale Council, said: “I think it was a very successful meeting. We had a great turn out and there was a lot of enthusiasm in the room.

"The next step for us now is to get the town team to look at the proposed ideas and then see what can be taken forward.”

Ideas put forward were:

• Regular outdoor markets, farmers markets and cultural foods. 
• Physically improved properties. 
• Business developments/shops joining up together. 
• Business rates. 
• Make it attractive to the younger generation. 
• A good transport infrastructure. 
• Link the town centre with Queens Park/free shuttle bus. 
• Full commitment from the town team.
• An Emporium in Heywood. 
• Wider variety. 
• First aid and marshal training to make the town safer. 
• Replace/renovate the new deal signs.
• More events in the area. 

Frances added: “Hopefully we will hold meetings every six months that the public can be involved in. Those meeting will be aimed at the local
community and local residents so they can get their ideas across to us about Heywood.”