Nothing entices me to promote town
OVER the years I have always been reluctant to travel into Oldham to shop.
However, with the advent of the Metrolink it has been much easier and dare I say it, in my opinion, its centre is far superior to Rochdale’s.
On Friday whilst in Oldham I overheard two women discussing Rochdale and the main thrust of their conversation was that Rochdale is a dump.
Further to this on Saturday and reluctantly venturing into Rochdale I heard a shop assistant explaining to a customer that Bury is much better than Rochdale, and that Rochdale has nothing going for it.
When I consider what the council has done and is proposing to do I see nothing to entice me to promote the town.
We seriously need either government intervention to investigate how the town is being managed or alternatively, a complete change of the town council.
It is a pity that people tend to vote for candidates attached to the main political parties instead of known respected individuals who are independent.
I would seriously urge the good people of Rochdale to make their opinion known ASAP before the council embarks on further inappropriate changes in addition to giving themselves a 34 per cent allowance rise. George Smith
PLAN SHOWS LACK OF IDEAS
WHAT is wrong with the ruling group of councillors?
Why do they insist on bringing politics in Rochdale to a new low?
Not content with backing our MP and awarding themselves obscene increases in their allowances, they now want to set about destroying the environment.
The recently announced plan for housing, fronted by our own council leader, demonstrates not only their contempt for people, but also their complete lack of ideas.
We do need more housing, but the council is going about providing this in the wrong way.
The first option should be to identify empty houses and to make them rentable or sellable.
The next option should be to look at other property that could be rented.
Flats above shops, commercial buildings, old mills etc could be brought into the housing market.
Then brownfield sites should be considered.
There are numerous small scale sites that could accommodate houses.
Many have planning permission but are not being developed. Why not? These would have the advantage over greenfield sites of having existing roads and infrastructure.
Where is the imagination and commitment to provide affordable housing?
It may be easier, and more profitable (for developers and the council) to build on greenfield sites but it should be the last consideration.
Proposals to destroy amenities and not replace them do not deserve our respect and we should take every opportunity to bring our councillors to account.
There might not be local elections in May but our elected representatives would be foolish to carry on treating voters with contempt.
It really is time for councillors to start representing the electors, not themselves. Mick Coats
MEAL WAS A GOOD SHOW
BEFORE Christmas a lot was going in Milnrow and Newhey.
One thing that stood out to me in all this was the Christmas meal held at Butterworth Hall Community Centre for the home alone elderly in the area.
All this planned, arranged and organised by Sue Hancock with few other volunteers who gave up their time to give Sue a helping hand.
Credit must also go to all those who contributed in some way, from businesses in the area who donated and to general members of the public who donated goods and food and gave help in other ways.
It just goes to show what a community can do to help others who may be alone around the Christmas period.
A pat on the back to everyone involved. Kenneth Hall Fairway Milnrow
POLITICS TAKE A NASTY TURN
I SEE politics has got a lot nastier in Rochdale now Lib Dem spin doctor David Hennigan has turned up in town.
I can’t understand why local Lib Dems, most of whom are quite nice people, put up with him.
Mr Hennigan isn’t even a Rochdale resident. He lives in Manchester.
Perhaps he should stick to peddling his nasty brand of personal and offensive politics in the big city.
He’s hardly a success story, is he?
He was the Lib Dem agent for former MP Paul Rowen. And look what happened to him? He lost his seat to Labour after just one term.
Mr Hennigan then turned his talents to getting Lib Dem councillors elected in Manchester. They promptly lost every single seat they held on the council.
Last May, in one of the dirtiest Lib Dem campaigns seen for a long time in the town, Mr Hennigan boasted they were going to take seven seats from Labour. They won just a single seat while Labour won 16 out of the 20 up for grabs.
Rochdale and the Lib Dems deserve better than Mr Hennigan’s nauseating type of gutter politics.
It’s about time they sent him packing again. Coun Allen Brett Deputy leader Rochdale council