To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Sultan Ali, Brosnan, Duckworth, Howard, Nickson and Rashid

Members are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary, personal or personal and prejudicial interests they may have and the nature of those interests relating to items on this agenda and/or indicate if S106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.   

Further to the Council’s Code of Conduct, Councillor Cecile Biant declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 8 (Catley Lane Head Conservation Area for final designation) by virtue of her position as a trustee of the residents group that originally recommended designating Conservation Area status at this location and took no part during consideration of the item.

To determine whether there are any additional items of business which, by reason of special circumstances, the Chair decides should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

There were no urgent items of business.

To determine any items on the agenda, if any, where the public are to be excluded from the meeting.

There were no items of business that required the public and press to be excluded.

The following matters were raised during the Open Forum:

Car Boot Sales

In response to a written question from Ms T Powers regarding the Car Boot Sales the Townships & Communities Manager undertook to respond in writing

Banners on Park and Highways Railings

In response to a written question from Ms T Powers regarding the Car Boot Sales the Townships & Communities Manager undertook to respond in writing

Formation of a Residents Forum

Mr M. Coats addressed the Township Committee seeking support and assistance in setting up a residents’ forum to consider issues with regard to the Former Turner Brothers site and to request that the Healey, Spotland and Falinge and Norden Area Forums be kept informed of matters relating to the site. 

The Chair advised that the Township welcomed active involvement in issues of local importance and encouraged the establishment of residents groups but that it would be for any group to establish its own terms of reference and invite relevant interested parties to attend.

Mr Coats was advised that the Township would continue to keep members of the area forums updated on matters relating to the site

Greater Manchester Police Update

Inspector Neal Killen (Greater Manchester Police) updated the Township Committee on activities and initiatives that were undertaken by Greater Manchester Police in the Rochdale Township.

The Committee were advised that Greater Manchester Police had undertaken several operations which were designed to combat the problems caused by off road bikers, burglaries and anti-social behaviour.

Members of the Committee sought details of the ‘Dark Night’s Strategy’ which the police were undertaking to tackle the level of burglaries in the Borough.

Members again raised concerns regarding the difficulty in getting a response when dialling the 101 police phone number to report incidents.

Decision:

That the Greater Manchester Police update be noted and welcomed.

To consider the minutes of the meeting of Rochdale Township Committee held on 4^th October 2017.

Decision: 

That the minutes of the meeting of the Rochdale Township Committee held on 4^th October 2017 be approved as a correct record.

To consider the minutes of meeting of the Rochdale Township Action and Resources Delegated Sub-Committee held on 19^th October 2017

Decision:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Rochdale Township Action & Resources Sub-Committee held on 19^th December 2017 be noted.

To consider the designation of Catley Lane Head as a conservation area and adoption of the Catley Lane Head Conservation Area Appraisal.

The Township Committee considered a report of the Director of Economy which sought approval for Catley Lane Head Conservation Area, taking into account the comments received as a result of consultation.

The Committee noted that the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 imposes a duty on local planning authorities to survey and keep under review in their district areas which are of special architectural or historic interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance, and to designate those areas as conservation areas. This duty is an ongoing requirement of local authorities.

Conservation area appraisals are produced in order to identify the special architectural and historic character of significant areas, to guide development and to inform effective management plans.

Catley Lane Head was recommended for conservation area designation in order to provide a framework for controlled and positive change in the hamlet. Establishing a conservation area would help to protect the heritage of this well preserved and relatively sensitively restored hamlet by bringing attention to its unique landscape and architecture as well as providing the local community with strong sense of identity and pride.

Alternatives Considered – To not have undertaken a detailed conservation area appraisal at this time would have resulted in a lack of appreciation of the heritage value and leave the area vulnerable to further erosion of character by demolition and inappropriate development of its physical fabric and rural setting.

The Chair permitted Ms F Healey, a Trustee of the Rooley Moor Neighbourhood Forum to address the Committee in respect of this item.

Decision:

1.    That the designation of Catley Lane Head as a conservation area and adoption of the Catley Lane Head Conservation Area Appraisal be approved.

2.  That the consultation responses outlined in Appendix 1 to the submitted report be noted.

3     That the change made in the recommended conservation area border compared to the consultation document in relation to the exclusion of  Hunger Hill Farm and the industrial buildings next to Smallshaw Farm from the conservation area be noted.

Reason for decision: Catley Lane Head is considered to be an area of historic and architectural interest worthy of preservation and enhancement. The production and consultation of a conservation area appraisal established the intrinsic heritage value of the area and its setting. Local feedback established that there are some questions about what the designation would mean to property owners, with both strong objections and strong support from the local community.

Catley Lane Head demonstrates vernacular architecture which reflects the historic industries along the line of historic routes. The evolution of the hamlet is still evident in the built environment and landscape, including mill ponds and farmland. The general character of the suggested conservation area is typified by its use of vernacular architecture and materials and its rural setting. This applies not only to the buildings themselves, but also to the historic Cotton Famine Road. The conservation area designation was recommended by the Rooley Moor Neighbourhood Association. The attached Conservation Area  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

To consider proposals to address the need for extra Reception and Year 1-6 places up to September 2020.

The Township Committee considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services advising on the need to increase capacity at Schools within the Township for Reception Years and Years 1 - 6 places up to September 2020.

The Committee was informed that the report was being submitted to the four Township Committees for consultative purposes and that any views thereon, expressed by Members, would be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 19th December 2017.

The Committee was informed that Rochdale Township had seen a rise in the number of births within a two year period which predicted that the 2017/18 cohort peak would peak at 1462 pupils before dropping again to 1385 in 2018/19. Plans had been put in place to enlarge two schools permanently, but this was however insufficient and from 2019 extra capacity was needed in Rochdale Township primary schools

In discussion concerns were raised with regard to the proposed increase in the size of the existing primary schools to a three form intake due the pressures this causes on the communal areas of the school and the traffic and parking issue caused in the locality at the start and end of the school day.  A suggestion was raised that consideration be given to the development of a new primary school in the central/ southern area of the Township as an alternative to the proposal to increase the size of Belfield and Lowerplace primary schools to a published admission number of 60 pupils per year group from 2019-20.  

Alternatives considered: To not increase places available could leave the Council at risk of not meeting statutory responsibilities in education provision.

Decision: That the report be noted.

Reason for decision: To enable Townships awareness of school spaces and pupil numbers within their area and aid local decision making.

Eligible for Call-in: No.

To consider proposals relating to the need for Extra Year 7 School places from 2017- 2027.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services which presented information on the School Place Planning from 2017 to 2027 for secondary places. The Township Committee was advised that in recent years there had been a continuing increase in the number of children born across the Borough, and who in turn will need Secondary School places. Data presented in the report at Borough and Township level showed there were different demand pressures in each of the Borough’s four Township areas.

The Committee was informed that the report was being submitted to the four Township Committees for consultative purposes and any views thereon expressed by Members would be considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 19th December 2017.

The Committee were advised that 8% more children attend the Primary Schools than Secondary Schools in the Rochdale and Pennines region with more pupils commuting out of the area. Current forecasts have suggested that a deficit of places for September 2019 will exist with this demand peaking in 2021 and then 2024. A Free School will be needed by 2022, but extra capacity is needed for 2019. A Free School bid was currently being put together by Hopwood Hall College, supported by the Altus Trust which was the Multi Academy Trust set up by Rochdale Sixth Form College, with the aim of being submitted in March/April 2018.  It was reported that without this new school in the area the pupils currently attending primary schools may be without secondary places to go to.

 Alternatives considered: To not increase places available could leave the Council at risk of not meeting statutory responsibilities in education provision.

Decision: That the Township Committee supports the proposals to:

a)  Provide additional places at Matthew Moss from 2018.

b)  Establish a new 180 place Free School in the Rochdale area by 2022.

c) Provide a further report identifying the need for additional building at   existing schools to address the shortfall in extra spaces.

Reason for decision: To enable Townships awareness of school spaces and pupil numbers within their area and to aid local decision making.

 Eligible for Call-in: No.