To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Burke, Rowbotham and Wardle.

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 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.

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

There were no items for the exclusion of press and public.

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration/Director of Economy.

The Township Committee gave consideration to a report of the Director of Economy and the Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration that detailed proposed amendments to the Middleton Town Centre Masterplan and sought the Committee’s approval to formally adopt the Plan.

Members were informed that a masterplan is an essential tool to guide development and build a case for investment within town centres. As such, the Council had committed to supporting the development of masterplans for each township across the Borough of Rochdale.

A consultation exercise with the public, businesses and stakeholders for the Middleton Town Centre Masterplan had been completed on 9 November 2022. The Township Committee were informed that it had produced a largely favourable response from the responses that had been received.

The Chair invited members of the public present at the meeting to ask questions and make representations relating to the Middleton Town Centre Masterplan.

The main issues raised were:

·         How Market Place and the immediate area would be affected and the impact this could have on local businesses;

·         Traffic flows around Middleton Town Centre and proposals to change road layouts and the affect this could have on congestion and pollution levels;

·         Awareness of the proposed Masterplan and how consultation could have attracted more responses had it been publicised more widely;

·         Proposals for parking in Middleton town centre and;

·         The redevelopment of Warwick Mill and the timescales for this to take place.

Township Committee Members agreed that the views expressed by members of public in attendance at the meeting should form part of the consultation process. Also, that as the plan developed, there would be further opportunities for public consultation and engagement.

Resolved:

That the Middleton Town Centre Masterplan be approved for publication, subject to amendments by the Director of Economy in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Economy and Regeneration as detailed within the submitted report.

Reasons for the decision:

The adoption of a Masterplan would assist with guiding future development in Middleton Town Centre and would support future funding bids to support regeneration priorities in the Middleton Township.