New town centre taxi rank opens

Taxi driver Keith Watson tries out the new rank

A new taxi rank next to the transport interchange has opened.

The seven space rank, at the junction of River Street and Faulkner Street, will operate alongside other ranks in the town centre and help provide easier access to the Southern and Eastern parts of Rochdale.

A shelter and new lighting will also be provided at the rank, which is opposite the town centre Metrolink stop.

Two loading bays have also been created as part of the scheme to help Drake Street traders and the new Morrisons M local store, which is set to open on Smith Street early in the new year.

And a new Shopmobility facility and cycle hub are set to open next to the site in Spring 2015.

Richard Ward, Owner of Miller Brook Properties, which owns the building at Number 2 Smith Street, part of which will soon be a Morrisons Local store, said: “The new loading bays were a critical factor in bringing Morrisons into the town centre, as they needed a location with excellent facilities. We have exciting plans for the rest of the building, with potential for a coffee shop or restaurant, and being on the doorstep of a transport hub like this will be a big factor in making this happen. These changes will help turn this part of town into a really vibrant, well used area.”