Developer search to be launched for Rochdale town
centre
Rochdale’s Town Centre Committee has agreed to progress
with a selection exercise to find a developer for a £200 million rejuvenation
of Rochdale town centre that will deliver a new retail heart with leisure
facilities, offices and homes.
An official notice is expected to be placed in the Official Journal of the
European Union this spring asking for interested companies to come forward
for the opportunity.
It is intended that three companies will later be shortlisted and local
people will be consulted on their designs this autumn. Following the public
consultation, the developers will have a chance to amend their plans to incorporate
feedback from the public.
A final decision is expected to be made by the Town Centre Committee in
summer 2010. In the meantime, work is continuing to get the town centre ready
for the new retail developments and in delivering new transport, health and
education facilities.
Roger Ellis, Chief Executive of Rochdale Borough Council said: “We
held an open day in December and met with a number of interested developers,
which gave us confidence in proceeding with a selection exercise. Rochdale
is already benefitting from a huge amount of public investment in the town
centre that is delivering new transport, education, health and Council office
facilities and we believe this up-front commitment will be appealing to potential
private investors. All the groundwork is underway to have a comprehensive
development site ready for when the retail market recovers.”
The brief has been developed in consultation with the Government’s
Homes and Communities Agency, Rochdale Development Agency and commercial
property consultants DTZ. It responds to recent caselaw developments since
a previous selection exercise in 2008, which was called off due to a challenge
following a European test case.
John Hudson, Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency said: “The
shortlisted developers will have access to all the information gathered through
previous consultations and will then take their proposals out to local residents
later in the year to gather their views before updating their designs and
making their final submissions. Elected members will consider all the details
provided then make their final decision next year.”
In the meantime progress is being made to create a new site ready for development
in 2012.
Finance has been secured for a £60 million municipal riverside development
which will provide 300,000sq ft of office accommodation for 2,600 Council,
NHS and private sector staff along with a new town centre library, training
and conference facilities by the end of 2011.
Restaurants and bars will front a new riverside walkway. Work is progressing
on a programme of acquisitions to enable the build adjacent to the new transport
interchange site on Smith Street. The demolition of the existing council
offices (known as the black box) and existing bus station will enable space
for the proposed town centre retail development.
The site for the new town centre transport interchange has already been
cleared. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) has formed
professional design team to help bring the £11.5m project to life and
local people will be consulted on the designs this year. Metrolink will arrive
into Rochdale train station in 2012 and the new interchange will be designed
to accommodate a future extension into the town centre.
Councillor Alan Taylor,
Leader of Rochdale Borough Council and Chair of the Town Centre Committee
said: “There is a huge amount of investment going
into the wider town centre area including a new sixth form college, primary
care one-stop-shop health centres and investment in modern housing through
the Housing Market Renewal programme.
“Market research recently carried out by the Council’s commercial
advisors and views from potential developers show that by the time we will
have the redevelopment site cleared in 2012, we will be in a prime position
to attract retailers to the town centre. We believe in a few years’ time
Rochdale will offer the right kind of shopping and leisure experience to
make local people proud and attract people from outside the Borough.”
Councillor
Ashley Dearnley, Vice Chair of the Rochdale Town Centre Committee added: “Residents
want to see their town centre improved and whilst this won’t happen
over night, we want them to get behind these plans which will result in a
much wider choice of shops and a more modern town centre with better parking
and leisure facilities from 2012. Developers are telling us they see the
potential in Rochdale and are willing to invest £200
million, so we urge local people to get behind the proposals for the future.”
What happens next?
April/May 2009
An official notice will be posted inviting bidders to submit Expressions
of Interest using a pre-qualification questionnaire. The bidders’ responses
will be evaluated by a panel consisting of the Homes and Communities Agency,
Rochdale Development Agency and DTZ in conjunction with the Council’s
planning, finance, sustainability, highways and procurement teams. The selection
criteria will ensure that the developer can financially deliver a project
of this scale and has a track record of similar regeneration developments.
July/August 2009
Rochdale Town Centre Committee to approve and announce shortlist
and invite them to take part in a dialogue period to progress towards detailed
proposals.
Autumn 2009
Shortlisted developers to consult public on designs and ask for feedback.
November/December 2009
Continued dialogue period where developers have the opportunity
to ask questions and amend their proposals.
January 2010
Deadline for final submissions followed by evaluation period.
June 2010
Final decision by Town Centre Committee of elected members.
2010/2011
Detailed plans drawn up and bus station and Municipal offices cleared
to create the space for retail development. Work starts building transport
interchange and new riverside Council office complex.
2012
Construction starts on town centre east redevelopment. Metrolink to
arrive at Rochdale train station.
What residents have told us they want to
see:
All of the results from previous consultations about the town centre
will be provided to the developers to ensure that they can develop proposals
that respond to the needs of local people.
When asked about would improve
the town centre, residents said:
- New high quality shops (87.2%)
- Improved access into and around the town centre
(76.2%)
- Improved public transport facilities (52.7%)
- A wider mix of uses including
leisure and housing (32.7%)
- New high quality offices near the river (17.6%)
In the next consultation
exercise, proposals were developed on the themes identified above. The feedback
from the public showed support to having large retail stores, the creation
of a new public space and better access across the whole town centre and
more car parking.
All developers will have access to all comments received
in order to shape their plans from the outset. |
