Rochdale and 'scoot'.

Had a quick scoot around your fair metropolis and viewed some of the 'changes' to which you have allued upon these parchments. First reaction - crickey -.

Seen the new baths - impressed by the construction and according to many posts on here it seems to provide a good quality product. Ditto the new council building. Not so impressed architecturally and as for spending all that dosh at a time when that sort of money could have been better used I will reserve any judgement which will rely heavily on the de-bunking of staff and selling off of the rest of the now, surplus, buildings and a final cash balance analysis. Seemed ill-timed to me but -hey - what do I know? I'm sure that once all the building works for the Metro have finaly been done and the surroundings re-instated it won't be at all that bad.

There does remain some fool idea regarding the site of the 'Black-Box' (at last he cried - at last) and another shopping centre???? NO. Whatever happens the council SHOULD reduce the available shopping at other points of the town, primarily Drake Street and concentrate on good quality shopping on the Yorkshire St/Wheatsheaf Centre area ONLY.

It doesn't take a genius to know that shopping is going digital thus leaving a much smaller area for foot-fall shopping. Such doesn't preclude a GOOD OUTSIDE MARKET AREA which could be provided with an open-river pedestrianised town centre. That's about it. Comments invited.

I wish they would do something about the bottom of Yorkshire Street along Baille Street. I just wish they would stop the entrance for all vehicles except those who are delivering goods to the shops in the morning and act on the speeders who go along there.

Disabled parking only allowed and shift all the illegal parking there.

Make it pedestrian only as possible. At times you take life and limb in hand walking around there.

I agree with most of what you say Atlas.

Good idea Hinch. Email to the planning department for consideration.

Hinch wrote:I have an idea! Pull down all the shops on Drake Street, turn the space into a giant car park and institute a 'Park & Pray' scheme to the Mustafa Islamic Centre on Fishwick Street.

Shall we have a vote on this

Seriously though to get Rochdale back track I agree with Atlas regarding upgrading The Market everybody loves a market (don't they? ) and concentrate on Drake Street and Yorkshire Street.
Take a look at Bury,Oldham & Manchester even Middleton it is a pleasure going just window shopping round these areas, and I have to say the new council offices just look awful it has taken over the landscape of our town and will it ever serve it's purpose

The town centre, the ideal place to site a 'proper, twice weekly, open-air market should be a car-free area with a park and ride access availability sited either end of the main throughfare to assist shopping and create a safe enviroment for all. On other days the area could be as used at present. A progressive 'planner' should have the ability to formulate such a scheme without going off on one. We used to call it nounce. Does it exisit anymore one askes?

Bit like Rochdale then .....

Hinch wrote:

They all look like extras from a low-budget zombie film. [/size]

That's the exact comment I made to a colleague today after I had to walk from the bottom of Drake St to Lord Square and back again at lunchtime today. I've not been into Rochdale really for a long time and it surprised me. Worse than ever.

You can extract the scrotes and silly-dollies from almost anywhere charly if you look hard enough. Such tv so-called programmes are fodder for the dim-witted and clutter up the air waves like parasitic vermin. My advice - avoid them. Breaks into an otherwise stable up-bringing.

Going back to the town-centre and an enlightened progressive attempt to brighten and enhance the product. The park and ride I mentioned could be in the form of a land-train on the constant - in other words a non-stop circuitous ride taking shoppers back and forth on market days. Part-time work for three able-bodied people at a fee simple which would help defray the costs. But do we have the 'nounce'?????