A row has broken out over a controversial decision to ignore calls for free town centre parking on Saturdays.
A Conservative motion to introduce the £135,000 scheme to make parking free after 10am on Saturdays was defeated at the budget fixing meeting at the end of February.
Cabinet member for finance, Councillor Greg Couzens, objected to the scheme, saying the move could potentially bankrupt the two shopping centres, which own 60 per cent of the town centre's car parks.
But Paul Turner Mitchell, the chairman of the Voice of Rochdale Independents group (VRI) - a group of independent town centre business - says Councillor Couzens should have declared an interest before a vote was taken, due to his position as a director and chairman of Rochdale Town Centre Management, which is funded in part by the two shopping centres, as well as the council and other businesses.
He has submitted a complaint with Rochdale Council's standards board and is calling for the decision to be overturned and fully debated with the input of all town centre businesses.
Mr Turner Mitchell said: "There has to be openness and transparency for the democratic process to work.
"The decision was taken in favour of two major owners.
"What about the independent business? We make up 53 per cent of Rochdale town centre."
But Councillor Couzens, who owns an independent town centre business, denied there was a conflict of interest.
He said: "I still have a business in the town centre, this was not a personal decision.
"If you asked any independent business if they wanted free parking on a Saturday, of course they would say yes, but you have to look at the bigger picture.
"Sixty per cent of car parking in the town centre is privately owned, it's irrelevant who by."
Councillor Couzens says he believes that the move would lead to town centre car parks being filled by staff vehicles.
He added: "When we brought in free after three parking, we really thought about how we could fill the town centre at the quietest time and not just fill car parks with worker's cars.
"There are 400 businesses in the town centre, if each of them brought just two cars in that would mean 800 cars in council owned car parks.
"It would cause mayhem, we need to keep workers’ cars on the outskirts of town."
The leader of the Conservative Party, Councillor Ashley Dearnley, said he would also like to see a proper debate on whether or not free parking on Saturday should be introduced.
He added: "To decide on this, taking into account only how it would affect the two shopping centres, is not acceptable.
"We are here for all the business owners of the town as a whole."
Mr Turner Mitchell is currently waiting for a reply from the council's standards board about his complaint, though has already been told by the borough solicitor Linda Fisher that even if a conflict of interest was found to exist, another budget fixing meeting would not be held, as in her opinion it would not have altered the voting if Councillor Couzens had not been in the room.
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bobby the builder, rochdale (10/03/2010 at 09:21)
His high profile town centre activity was suspiciously close to the little 'coup' that saw Cllr Alan Taylor step down as Leader of the Council - then Greg put his hat into the ring to be the new leader.
Did Greg's dream of an Affleck's style palace have anything to do with a local property developer's latest asset in Rochdale Town Centre? The £50,000 of government cash that hasn't been spent on reviving our hight street wasn't being held back for this little project was it?
It is OUR money and OUR town centre's future. There should be full scrutiny of the decisions that are made that affect our town's future and the deals that seem to be done behind close doors.
NordenBloke, Norden (10/03/2010 at 09:50)
sharon taylor (10/03/2010 at 10:07)
MPs gravy train, UK (10/03/2010 at 13:12)
With the lighter evenings it is possible for the town centre to do better after 3pm. But somebody needs to make sure shops open until 6pm and the markets too. Too many of the market stalls are shutting up shop at 3.30pm. It makes a poor town centre even less appealing to those that may take advantage of the parking concession.
The Chef, Spotland (10/03/2010 at 13:30)
KevinK (10/03/2010 at 14:02)
Henry Kelly, Ireland (10/03/2010 at 14:21)
The Chef, Spotland (10/03/2010 at 16:04)
gatesofheaven (10/03/2010 at 16:41)
James Allan Whitehead (10/03/2010 at 17:16)
Having been a member of Direct services the senior committee to highways. We had several people moaning, because at the time Bury had a policy of free Parking. Rochdale shoppers moaned and moaned that there was nowhere to park in Rochdale. At the time there was free parking on Yorkshire street and parts of Cheetham Street, with further free parking in some of the adjacent Streets. Most of these streets became fully parked up by 0900hrs. Who was parking in these streets? Business owners and their employees, so pay and display was brought in. Free parking will only work if it has restrictions placed upon it. Councillor Dearnley, is correct free parking from 10am, however, I hope he also proposes a termination time around 1600hrs.
Donnie Tobasco, Rochdale (11/03/2010 at 00:50)
Rochdales dead thanks to the lib dems, it says alot when the town centre has more charity shops than retail outlets..................
rochdale trader, rochdale (11/03/2010 at 07:58)
A shameless example of being "economical with the truth" given the fact that there was a letter admission that the true number of empty shops was well over 40.
Why would the Portfolio holder for finance demonstrate such a shocking inability to count?
The answer could shed some light on what is really going so wrong with Rochdale...
Politicians being told what to say by executive officers, professional corporate lobbyists, consultants and spin from a Council "media unit" costing US TAXPAYERS £2,000,000 a year.
Spin, drivel and half truths. Waffle about "exciting regeneration" and deck chair shuffling as the Titanic sinks.
But all you would ever read about such a Rochdale disaster in Pennine Pravda's such as the Council's "Local Matters" and other curiously funded sources is -
"great news for Rochdale! - cool iceberg to provide free swimming lessons for all!"
NordenBloke, Norden (11/03/2010 at 09:21)
To me, Rochdale is simply a scaled up version of Woollies! It sells bits of each range but not a wide enough selection. Like Wollies, it is somewhere you go on the off chance it has it!
BALL AND BAT, ALL OVER (11/03/2010 at 09:42)
All in all rochdale is the scruffiest place in greater manchester we should be paid to park our cars if truth be known.
BALL AND BAT, ALL OVER (11/03/2010 at 09:54)
On a certain day i noticed a elderly man and woman looking at a ticket that had been issued on there car,as id had a ticket on a sunday for no reason whatsoever,any way i approached the couple and the ticket was issued at 11am and they still had over an hour on the ticket so the warden is in for the sack as he thought that an elderly couple (parked correctly)with a valid ticket was victimised i took there number and said that id be whitness and took pictures of the car parked correctly qand the ticket with the time issued and the hour still left.
Jobs worths.
Dan Root (11/03/2010 at 14:45)
Metrolink is coming, is it going to make or break this town? it's going to be all too convienient to jump on the tram to Manchester this town needs a plan and it needs one quick!
The Chef, Spotland (11/03/2010 at 16:12)
In the case of your penalty notice did you challenge the alleged violation or are we to assume that you also were being victimised!
STREETSHACK, RED BROOK (11/03/2010 at 18:45)
Surely there's been some sort of miss print or typo error here since he normally never misses an opportunity to shamelesley promote his SECOND job & business.
Unless he starts concentrating with a little more clarity & focus on his FIRST job with RMBC & pull his finger out he might soon be the ONLY business in The Walk
Henry Kelly, Ireland (11/03/2010 at 19:01)
Mick Martin (11/03/2010 at 19:33)
I see "a complaint with Rochdale Council's standards board" has been made. Given the public anger over this type of thing and expenses, I hope a thorough and impartial investigation will be promptly undertaken.
Like Paul Turner-Mitchell said "there has to be openness and transparency for the democratic process to work."
Such values seem to no longer exist in Rochdale.
The Chef, Spotland (12/03/2010 at 09:41)
Henry Kelly, Ireland (12/03/2010 at 11:57)
Cane and Able, rochdale (12/03/2010 at 13:34)
Does this guy's brain hurt when he sits down?
Simple solution for any muppets trying to spin their way out of doing this to help out Town Centre - other councils give out free 2 hour time discs for people to put in their cars- they get them from local businesses and offices. Simple.
Or is it that private car parks would lose out?
But who allowed private car parks in the first place?
Rochdale Council?
Is this the same genius council that plans yet more private car parks for our town centre?
How much do these people get paid to provide such mindless destruction?
create
Rochdale born., Witheld (13/03/2010 at 10:37)
sonofa tool (13/03/2010 at 18:46)
Yes, but lets not forget that its ok for council/government staff with the holme underground carpark, Bus station multistory dedicated floor, Newgate House, various parking permits in use on the town hall carpark...... I could go on.
Those making the rules want different for themselves. Scum.