The Official Rossendale Thread

[Irish Blood English Heart]

Can't think of anywhere to put stuff about Lancashire so here is as good as any I suppose. I have some development news about Rawtenstall so shall post here in a wee bit, if anyone has anything at all then post it here!

[Irish Blood English Heart]

New town centre for Rawtenstall......

Well it seems that Rawtenstall bus garage and station is going to redeveloped by Lidl into a new bus station and supermarket, shame its a supermarket turning its back on the river rather then a riverside development on the Irwell which Im sure would be more welcome then a 4th town supermarket (after a giant Asda and two tescos), however it's been approved. The plans are here:

Controversial store plan gets the go-ahead
By Helen Korn
Comment | Read Comments (3)

BUILDING PLANS: The bus shelters, in Bacup Road, will remain
A NEW supermarket will be built in Rawtenstall despite more than 1,000 people signing a petition against the development.

The bus repair garage, Bacup Road, will be demolished to make way for a new Lidl store and car parking, but the bus stands will be retained.

Under a legal agreement, as part of the planning application by the German supermarket giant, the council will be given £70,000 for transport initiatives, money towards CCTV cameras and a portion of land will be transferred to Lancashire County Council for the provision of a new bus interchange.

But Rawtenstall's Chamber of Commerce had collected a petition with 1,014 signatures and Rossendale Council also received many letters of objection, as well as letters in support.

Tony Winder, of the Cham-ber of Commerce, spoke against the application at a meeting of Rossendale planning committee. He said: "This is the wrong location for this building. The design is poor and the building will look tatty and become a blight on the landscape."

There were many letters in support of the scheme, but also others objecting on the grounds of noise pollution, increased traffic, visual impact and decreases in the value of homes.

http://www.rossendale.gov.uk/downloa...7-665_Lidl.pdf

Apparentl Asda are recladding their new huge store in stone to make it fit in better.

Bigger news though is the redevelopment of the town centre to replace the current decrepit shopping precinct with a new development

Old Centre here:

Rawtenstall's Valley Centre redevelopment plans have been given the go ahead by Rossendale Council, following last nights Special Development Control Meeting.

The £30m development involves demolishing the exisiting Valley Centre, to make way for 16 new shops, 6 food and drink outlets and 115 apartments. Parking for over 300 cars will also be provided.

A new pedestrianised 'Cafe Quarter' is also planned for in front of the Police Station on Lord Street.

Councillor Tony Swain said: "I believe we now have an organisation behind this scheme that will deliver on their promises and bring the scheme through.
"The previous owners' main achievement in developing our town centre was to let the place go to rack and ruin. We have no longer got a shopping centre but a semi-derelict no-go area.

The new Valley Centre could be ready as early as Spring 2010, but this is subject to approval from the Secretary of State.

Here is the pics of the development:

[GShutty]

Good to hear that the shopping centre is being done it's a disgrace at present. For anyone who hasn't been, Rawtenstall has a cute cobbled High St and a damn good butchers! There are also several good pubs on the way if you take the A roads.

It's really great to hear that the provincial towns are fighting back (Bury, Altrincham, Stockport, even further-afield dare I say; Blackburn). After years of neglect and local authorities that have not seemed to know how to respond to say The Trafford Centre, they seem to be fidning their place and identity again.

[skyhigh247]

And what about the popular http://www.rossendaleonline.co.uk/ . They even had a members get together in the centre recently. I'm Ross'N'Dale on there so if you see me give me a nod. I visit the area a fair bit and have grown attached to it.

[DBLUE07]

How did Tesco's ever get approval to build 2 massive supermarkets within a mile of each other ill never know.

Surely one of the sites could be better used? I know the garden centre fell flat on its arse, but there must be something else?

[andysimo123]

Take it the development is still on going. Theres a quote in this article saying the Valley Centre is still to be demolished.

Do You Support Rawtenstall's Bid to Become a Mary Portas Pilot Town?

Further to the announcement by Grant Shapps, the Local Government Minister, that £1m would be allocated to enable 12 towns and cities to be able to implement these recommendations, towns are now being invited to put forward their bids for a share of this funding, and the support of Grant Schapps, the government and Mary Portas herself.

Blighted for many years by a reduction in footfall, empty shops, supermarkets on the doorstep and the soon-to-be-demolished Valley Centre, Rawtenstall is one such town hoping to win a slice of this funding to become the bustling town centre it deserves to be.

On 15th February Council Officers, business leaders and community representatives will meet at St Mary's Chambers in Rawtenstall to set key priorities, and to explore the development of an innovative shared vision for improving the high street in Rawtenstall. This will form the basis of a bid to the 'Portas Pilots' fund.

The bid already has the support of Rossendale MP Jake Berry, Lancashire County Council, Rawtenstall's Chamber of Trade and Rossendale Borough Council.

If you would like to support the bid, which needs to be submiited by 30th March 2012, please contact Stephen Jackson Head Of Health Housing And Regeneration on 01706 252404 or email stephenjackson@rossendalebc.gov.uk

http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Lancash...tas-Pilot-Town

[heatonparkincakes]

I actually thought it had fallen through.

And it looked pretty grim when I was in Rawtenstall last week.

The shopping centre like a dank tramp drying in the Cold sun and the bus station has odds folks eyeing little girls with evil intent.

But surely one of the greatest chippies in Christiandom lies cozily nest to the Temperance Bar.

All that town needs is a real ale pub next to the rail station.

Bliss.

[WatcherZero]

Wigan is going for this funding too, its pitiful 12 100k grants to be won, every town in the country will be bidding, say the average bid cost is 5-10k, think how much money wasted!

While on topic of Lancashire, didnt the £100m Tithbarn scheme in Preston recently fall through? The town was building its whole strategy around that development.

[andysimo123]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

Wigan is going for this funding too, its pitiful 12 100k grants to be won, every town in the country will be bidding, say the average bid cost is 5-10k, think how much money wasted!

While on topic of Lancashire, didnt the £100m Tithbarn scheme in Preston recently fall through? The town was building its whole strategy around that development.

£100k doesn't get anywhere near the £30m build cost. I don't see the point but there are bigger problems than just funding. A major problem is the smug landlords who charge silly money for shop fronts that are no where near the value they've been asked to pay. Even some of the big companies have pulled out and while its not what we want to see. There was a McDonalds in Altrincham and the land lord doubled the rent. They refused to pay and moved out. It's been empty since but the same thing has happened to everyone. If you think that's happened in every town centre up and down the land it becomes clear why 10000s of jobs are being lost and why town centres are dead.

[Accura4Matalan]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

While on topic of Lancashire, didnt the £100m Tithbarn scheme in Preston recently fall through? The town was building its whole strategy around that development.

Yes. There are other fairly major masterplans, but an awful lot of the city's development was geared towards Tithebarn.