Light fantastic opens up the festive season
Part of town set to miss out on roads repair cash
MORE than 2,500 attended the council-run Christmas switch-on event in the town centre.
The countdown to Christmas officially began in Rochdale with the switch-on event last Saturday, which included two hours of illuminated street theatre, family entertainment, food and drink.
Silly Billy Bones (aka comic Ben Coles) appeared alongside his Middleton Arena Treasure Island pantomime co-star Dame Captain Smollett (Matthew Siveter) to introduce the switch-on countdown.
Mayor Councillor Aasam Rashid addressed the crowds, followed by Father Christmas before the lights were switched on for 2021.
Hundreds of lights came on across the town centre, including never before seen new displays at the Rochdale Riverside retail and leisure destination.
The biggest light of them all was Gaia – the stunning replica of planet Earth which opened for the first time. Mayor Rashid said: “Seeing Rochdale in lights, and so many people, helps bring a little bit of that magic that I think we all need, especially given the year we have had.
“I hope to see everyone back in Rochdale over the next few weeks, supporting our fabulous local businesses, restaurants and events, including the wonderful Gaia earth which is now on display until Christmas Eve.”
Displays included Spark! – high impact drumming with kaleidoscopic lighting and music, and rising above the River Roch towards Rochdale Riverside was Heliosphere – a giant c colourful balloon suspending an aerial acrobat, which im impressed the large c crowds who gathered to watch.
Duo Moths at Work were collecting smiles and laughs from every ryone, and giant b brightly coloured Winte ter Wonderland Birds f from the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ carol met visitors.
Making a guest a appearance was the h huge Sybil, the baby whale created by local creatives from Littleb borough Arts Festival, a and there was music fr from Oakenhoof Folk Arts Group.
Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation said: “The last couple of years have been very challenging for our businesses but it was good to see all the displays, the smiling faces and so exciting to have another live event again in the heart of the town.”
It was a busy afternoon for shops, restaurants and
rcv bars, with many offering special deals for switch-on guests.
Rachel Byrne, centre manager for Rochdale Riverside, added: “It was amazing to see so many people at the event. What a great start to the Christmas countdown.”
Today (Saturday) the lights are switched on in Littleborough town centre. The event runs from 3.30pm to 6pm – organised by LEAF.
AN area of Heywood is to miss out on cash for repairing and resurfacing roads for the first time in 20 years.
But a leading councillor responded to claims of ‘ unfairness’ by insisting the town’s residents won’t ‘give a toss’ where the money is spent as long as the worst roads are fixed.
There are 12 schemes proposed for Heywood under Rochdale council’s two- year capital programme for 2022- 2024.
However, rather than splitting the £ 440,000 pot equally between the township’s three wards, North Heywood gets the lion’s share with seven schemes, while there are just four in West Heywood.
And while one scheme is earmarked for Hopwood Hall ward, Hind Hill Street moves into North Heywood next year as part of the boundary changes.
The arrangements - put forward by the council’s highways team - are based on Department for Transport ( DFT) guidelines and aim to ‘achieve the highest level of network improvement available within the allocated budget’.
Local authorities not deemed to be carrying out efficient highway improvements can have their funding reduced - by up to £ 410k in Rochdale’s case.
However, these were deemed ‘ unfair’ by two Conservative councillors at a meeting of Heywood Township committee.
West Heywood councillor Alan Mccarthy said the cash had been split equally for 22 years and he saw no reason to change now.
“I can’t pass anything where one ward actually gets no work done whatsoever,” he said.
And while he acknowledged further repairs could be funded through unspent monies, he noted that came down to a ‘ wishlist’ rather than ‘guaranteed’ schemes’
“There are no guarantees whatsoever, it’s a no from me,” he said.
“75pc of this money is going in North Heywood, only three to West Heywood, none going into Hopwood Hall. It’s unfair when one ward doesn’t get anything, so I will be voting against it.”
Fellow Tory councillor Jacqui Beswick agreed that the allocation of money was unfair and said she could not support the proposals.
However North Heywood councillor Liam O’rourke - also cabinet member for the environment - begged to differ.
“My view is that people in Heywood don’t give a toss about what ward it’s in,” he said. “If they drive across a bad road they want it sorted and that’s what needs doing. These roads have been ranked from best to worst, it just happens this year the dice has fallen one way.
Coun O’rourke argued that North Heywood contained the town centre and needed ‘ the majority of the investment in highways.
“This is a scheme I welcome,” he said.
“It’s about time we have people in Heywood being able to drive across the whole of Heywood on decent roads.
“I think that’s what they really want. They don’t want to see us chucking in extra schemes just for the sake of it as a tick- box exercise so every ward is included.”
Hopwood Hall councillor Carol Wardle pointed out the ward was receiving funding on the Middleton side of the line - and that requested repairs were being covered by a different programme.
The two year local transport plan ( LTP) funded capital programme was approved by five votes to two.
Heywood Township committee met at the Old Police Station, Hind Hill Street, on Monday night (November 23).