TOWN centre retailers are demanding to know why £18m of government funding to tackle deprivation is not being used to help fill vacant shops in the town centre.
Some local authorities have used their slice of the government's £1.5bn Working Neighbourhoods Fund, which is intended to help people off benefits and back into training and work in the country's most deprived towns and cities, to reduce the number of vacant shop units and keep shoppers from going to other towns.
But while Rochdale Council has used some of the money to fund business support schemes and a project which helps business start-ups, to date this has not helped attract any new retailers into the town centre.
Now the town's independent retailers are calling for the money to be spent to improve the town centre and fill the growing number of empty shops.
Last year it was revealed that almost a third of shop units in Rochdale town centre were vacant.
The chairman of the Voice of Rochdale Independents group and Shop Local campaign ambassador Paul Turner-Mitchell says the council could follow the lead of other authorities when it comes to spending the money.
He said: "We need to transform empty premises into social enterprises or other small start-up businesses. Look at Camden Council who work with local graduates to launch pop-up shop initiatives, which provide space for artists and fashion designers to showcase their work. I would like to see the council launch a grants scheme to contribute to retailers' rents and shop fitting costs in a bid to attract new independent shops into the town centre. They will add value to our high street, improve the retail offer and give Rochdale that sense of unique selling point. Rotherham Council, for example, is offering contributions towards rent over a two-year period, providing up to 50 per cent in the first year and 25 per cent in the second year. This is the type of innovation we need here in Rochdale town centre to improve the retail offer and funds must be made available for that."
In the West Midlands, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council has allocated £500,000 of their £1.2m pot to help fill empty shops, as well as increasing footfall by seeking to limit the number of people shopping out of town.
In September Rochdale Council appointed a business liaison manager to work with retailers.
A spokesman for the council said: "We have used some of this money to fund a number of business support projects including enterprise coaching, business start-up support initiatives and green business projects to help businesses reduce their CO2 emissions. The council is doing a great deal to support businesses across all sectors. We have recently launched our Retail Therapy programme in partnership with Business Link North West, which offers free tailored support and training for retailers across the borough".
"From February onwards we are also offering free NVQ training courses for retailers and hosting a series of workshops aimed at new businesses, covering vital topics such as sales, marketing, procurement, exporting, law and people management. In addition, we've appointed a full-time business liaison manager who will be working closely with our retailers and businesses in other sectors to make sure we understand what they need and the support we can give them. We are also supporting the Rochdale Observer's Shop Local campaign to encourage people to shop in our town centres and there is still free parking after 3pm in council town centre car parks."
Meanwhile, a different grant of £50,000 which was awarded to the council last August to tackle vacant shops by transforming them into arts venues has yet to be spent.
Councillor Greg Couzens – who runs a town centre hair salon and is Rochdale Borough Council's portfolio holder for financial affairs - revealed that the funding would not be enough to cover the cost of transforming even one vacant shop, and that match funding was being sought from Link4Life before it can be spent.
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come off it, Rochdale (27/01/2010 at 09:22)
Towns and city centres all over Britain have benefitted from small grants to make some difference on tough high streets.
Community cafes. art galleries, drop in centres and youth facilities have all been created by local authorities that have take the cash grants and got their finger out.
Rochdale just gets Impact Partnership "feasibility studies" and applications for yet more money from mystery quango Link4Life - a body that spent over a year trying to hoodwink Rochdale by getting a private golf driving range in Springfield Park.
No wonder Rochdale Town Centre is going to the dogs.
Whatever happened to Cllr Couzen's pitch for an "Aflecks Palace" just before he stood for the Leadership? Were the cynics correct in thinking this was just a publicity stunt to raise the profile of an ambitius councillor?
Rochdale deserves much better than this.
Mick Martin (27/01/2010 at 10:08)
18million quid to tackle deprived areas and none off it spent on the town centre. What a disgrace!
Hopefully the Council will isten to the suggestions made. They do seem sensible and logical.
Expat KSA, Riyadh (27/01/2010 at 10:13)
Ray Stay (27/01/2010 at 11:27)
KevinK (27/01/2010 at 13:09)
James Allan Whitehead (27/01/2010 at 15:03)
The Chef, Spotland (27/01/2010 at 15:29)
Government Money to use but no aptitude to use it wisely.
gatesofheaven (27/01/2010 at 16:08)
STREETSHACK, RED BROOK (27/01/2010 at 16:52)
http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/communities/pdf/321083.pdf
It’s available to download FREE at the Communities & Local Government webpage- - it mentions Rochdale TWICE !
£50, 000 not enough to renovate a single shop, Come of it Mr.Couzens ? The Rochdale Pioneers started with less than that & it’s one of the worlds leading trans nationals now.
Where is the pioneering spirit in RMBC ?...or are they all too busy applying for jobs & shredding the accounts?
Give us £50,000 and we’d spruce up Tumbleweed Street AND put a bit of spark into the town its called SOCIAL ENTERPRISE ,Hard graft AND imagination; evidently sadly lacking in our Town Hall & councillors !
MPs gravy train, UK (27/01/2010 at 18:38)
Local Walker (27/01/2010 at 19:49)
Do You Own Them?
Its Just a Shop? Or Shops
Sounds like you want all the shops open
Even if you don’t use them
To make you feel better
If a shop is not making money it has no point
Except for the poor owner who can not rent it out or use it
And is forced to pay business rates on a none existent business
Old Tommy, Rochdale (27/01/2010 at 21:22)
I still vividly remember the Rochdale Observer reports of the mid 1970's describing the ongoing saga of the Town centre redevelopment. Somewhere in the archives there will still be an Ob editorial lamenting the removal of free on-road car parkings and a plea for free parking in the new fangled car parks that were being built.
New bus station, new council offices and new market - all costing less than £10 million in mid 1970's money - much less than £100 million after inflation. Still about 4 times less than these wondrous new regeneration plans are expected to cost? Where is the rest of the money going? Fancy finance deals? profit? Down a pothole?
How the heck do those in charge forget the mistakes that were made a few decades ago. Why are we all expected to pay good money after bad for yet more demolition and white elephant schemes?
We might get treated like mugs but Rochdale people aren't stupid. It is time ordinary people were listened to and some common sense was applied to save our local shops and businesses.
Danielle Martens (28/01/2010 at 02:53)
Ex Pat, Melbourne, Australia
KevinK (28/01/2010 at 09:51)
Dave Power, upper Rochdale (28/01/2010 at 10:44)
There is loads of exciting developent just about to happen and all you lot can do is moan!!!
Get a grip and stop being so negative. Can't you see this is all a ploy to make Rochdale look bad so that there is a political change in who gets voted in???
The current adminstration and MP is doing a marvellous job depsite all the bad press. People shouldn't be so stupid or ignorant!!!
HH Judge Mental, Chavdale. (28/01/2010 at 11:57)
The authorities of Greater Manchesteralready send their social waste here and the town survives on them, through hostels and in the provision of services; let's go one better and become an open landfill site!
Belrock, England (28/01/2010 at 11:59)
It would only take £2000 to set each one up. Cant understand anybody wanting to invest in run down Rochdale.
Paul Turner-Mitchell (28/01/2010 at 11:59)
Innovation and real help is needed in the short term pending the regeneration. Yes parking initiatives help. Yes sprucing the town centre up will help. Yes business support helps. However, these do not act as a driver for footfall in isolation. They simply compliment. They do not address the root cause and do not change public perception of the town centre.
I have made, over numerous months now, constructive suggestions for meaningful short term regeneration and real help. They have either been dismissed because of lack of finance or no response whatsoever has been forthcoming.
The story shows that the government funding is there and in place. My comments are constructive designed to be implemented quickly to provide meaningful help for the town centre pending the regeneration. Some are now even considered “best practice”.
There can be no doubt that there are some exciting plans afoot for Rochdale. They are well versed. A complete rejuvenation of our town centre, a new bus station, the new metrolink line and many other exciting projects. It those responsible for this do not deliver, as promised, undoubtedly, they will be held to account.
If the promises are delivered upon, they will create prosperity, stability and most importantly jobs. Rochdale will also have a town centre to be proud of and which everyone can enjoy.
However, these projects are going to take time to come to fruition. They don’t happen overnight. Local business would, of course, like that. They are the ones suffering most. They need help and support now because, if not, by the time we all get our new town centre, many won’t be here.
We really need to put an end to the pass the buck blame game and petty squabbling that has held us back for years. What matters is now and how we can create sustainability and prosperity both in the short and long term.
Belrock, England (28/01/2010 at 12:04)
Cant understand anybody wanting to invest in run down Rochdale.
A Saracen (28/01/2010 at 12:52)
Are you Paul Rowen in disguise?
The Chef, Spotland (28/01/2010 at 13:06)
This issue has rumbled on for at least three decades as Old Tommy has pointed out in his comment.
They want a metrolink to Rochdale for what? there is little to entice shoppers in the current situation because of lack of vision to bring high street outlets back onto our main shopping thoroughfares like Drake Street and Yorkshire Street.
The town looks like a ghost town as soon as you come off Oldham Road when this should be a bustling focal point for shoppers to whet their appetites for more of the shopping experience once you're in the town centre.
A brand new bus station is to be built ! again Why ? for the same reason as above the present one is adequate because it doesn't seem like more buses will be required!
Let's dismiss who is shopping in the stores at the moment, we need to encourage major retail outlets to set up their stores here. More shops, more employment,more money,more investment happy shopkeepers happy town! There should be a reversal from out of town retail parks to town centre markets and shops. There is no sense of community or belonging to a town when we are discouraged from shopping alongside our neighbours and friends.
Mick Martin (28/01/2010 at 13:20)
D.Ashworth, Rochdale (28/01/2010 at 19:34)
This is great community spirit. The expectation of the public and this community is that our elected officials, representatives and dignitaries feed on this energy and passion. It's time they commited to acting in our interests and work to make this a great place to live. They will get plenty of backers if it is clear they have our interests at heart.
It takes actions not words to demonstrate commitment.
If the re-generation works are going to take place then they need to make it clear when, who, where etc. If they are not going to happen, we need to know the same. Drake Street is blighted by the on/off plans for the metrolink, as are many other parts of the centre for similar reasons.
I am in favour of regeneration projects if the money is spent well, and not frittered on consultants fees or corrupt building companies who cream off profits while delivering below-par services. Or architechts who design ugly monstrosities. If credible benefits can be set out for public scrutiny and debate then I'd support these programmes.
The leaders of our area need to re-build our trust, and probably start at the ballot box, and through public canvas and referendums.
I think everyone who posts on here cares about Rochdale, but our leaders have let us down so many times that a real change is needed.
Listen to the people.
Consult with the people
Set out what you are going to do for the people.
Thet get on and do it for us.
It doesn't happen, but it's about time it did.
The Chef, Spotland (29/01/2010 at 09:14)
MarXPacE, Sheriff Street (29/01/2010 at 09:31)