To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A. Ahmed, Ayrton, Gartside, Wazir, Winkler and Zaheer.

Members are requested to approve the Minutes of the Rochdale North Township Committee meeting held on Tuesday 17 January 2023.

Resolved:
That the Minutes of the Rochdale North Township Committee meeting held on 17 January 2023 be approved as a correct record.

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.

There were no declarations of interest.

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

There were no items for exclusion of public and press.

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 received.

Half an hour has been set aside for members of the public to raise any issues relevant to the business of the Committee and the Township.

No members of the public were in attendance and therefore no items were raised in the open forum.

To consider a report on the Rochdale Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and proposed Management Plan.

The Township Committee gave consideration to a report of the Director of Neighbourhoods which sought approval from Members to initiate a public consultation on a draft Rochdale Town Centre Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan.

The Senior Project Officer, Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), was in attendance to present the report and addressed the questions of the Committee.

The Township Committee was informed that Rochdale Town Centre had first been designated as a conservation area in 1980 and was last appraised in 2011. It contained a number of highly significant buildings and spaces including Rochdale Town Hall and the surrounding Memorial Gardens, however had high levels of unit vacancy and key buildings in poor condition such as on Drake Street.

A Rochdale Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) project centred on Drake Street had been established in 2018 but was now in its final year. The production of an appraisal and management plan for Rochdale Town Centre Conservation Area would allow the work of the Heritage Action Zone to continue after April 2023 and would provide a framework for further improvements within Rochdale Town Centre.

The public consultation would run for a period of 28 days and would confer with local heritage and amenity groups within the Township, as well as owners/tenants within the conservation area. A public consultation session would also take place within Rochdale Town Centre for residents.

The Township Committee was informed that a subsequent report would be presented for formal adoption following the conclusion of the Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan after the public consultation.

Members questioned the proposed conservation area boundaries and sought clarification on whether buildings would lose their heritage if they were to be taken out of the Rochdale Town Centre Conservation Area. Concerns were also raised in relation to green spaces being removed from the conservation area and the need to maintain historic character that was fitting with the area. The Senior Project Officer, RDA, advised that there were no current concerns.

Resolved:

1.    That the public consultation on the draft Rochdale Town Centre Conservation Area appraisal be approved;

2.    That the consultation strategy on the proposed Rochdale Town Centre Conservation Area management plan as detailed within the submitted report be approved..

To consider a report on the Maclure Road Conservation Area Appraisal and proposed Management Plan.

The Township Committee gave consideration to a report of the Director of Neighbourhoods which sought approval from Members to initiate a public consultation on a draft Maclure Road Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan.

The Senior Project Officer, Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), was in attendance to present the report and addressed the questions of the Committee.

The Township Committee was informed that the Maclure Road Conservation Area was first designated in 2006 and included buildings such as Rochdale Fire Station and the grade II* listed St John’s Church, however there was currently no appraisal or management plan in place.

Conservation area appraisals are produced in order to define the architectural and historic character of significant areas, to guide development, and to inform effective management plans. If approved, the documents would provide opportunity to identify the areas and buildings of significance within the Maclure Road Conservation Area and would identify opportunities for enhancement.

The public consultation would run for a period of 28 days and would confer with local heritage and amenity groups within the Township, as well as owners/tenants within the conservation area. A public consultation session would also take place within Rochdale Town Centre for residents.

The Township Committee was informed that a subsequent report would be presented for formal adoption following the conclusion of the Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan after the public consultation.

Members expressed their support for protecting the borough’s heritage sites and highlighted the need for conservation area’s to preserve both heritage and character.

Resolved:

1.    That the public consultation on the draft Maclure Road Conservation Area appraisal be approved;

2.    That the consultation strategy on the proposed Maclure Road Conservation Area management plan as detailed within the submitted report be approved.