Want your ideas about the future of Rochdale town centre to be considered?

Want your say on town centre redevelopment?

A meeting is to take place at which local residents and business owners will have the opportunity to convey their ideas in relation to the future development of Rochdale town centre.

The organisers are frustrated with what they see as the council, planners, architects, etc deciding on plans and buildings without the general public having a say until decisions have already been taken, by which time they say it is too late.

One of the organisers, Peter Baran says: "At present, the council, planners, architects, etc come together and decide on any future plans and buildings. They then tell the public what they are going to get. There appears to be very little in the way of consultation with the general public and usually they only get to have a say at the planning stage or when designs have already been approved. By that time, it is too late.

"What we would like to have, and which is the broad aim of the group, is the ability to tell the above what we want rather than being told what we are going to get."

Peter says the primary purpose of the meeting is to collect and collate ideas and put them together to form a skeleton document that can be used to begin to form a coherent plan that can then be presented to Rochdale Council and any other relevant parties.

Peter said: "The ultimate purpose would be to be involved in the planning and execution of any new regeneration of the town and its immediate environment."

The meeting will take place at Shelly B's cafe, Drake Street on Tuesday 17 June at 6.30pm.