Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council - Unitary Development Plan 2006

Chapter 3

Background to the Strategy

Background

3.1An effective Plan Strategy must take full account of the local context (the characteristics of the area) and the policy context (the national, regional and local policies that are relevant).

Local Context

ROCHDALE BOROUGH AND THE WIDER REGION

3.2Rochdale Borough is one of 10 districts in Greater Manchester and is the second largest with 159 square kilometres but with 205,400 people (2001 Census)) it has the second smallest population.  Two thirds of the Borough is countryside, most of which is Green Belt.

3.3The Borough shares a boundary with three of the other Greater Manchester districts: Oldham to the south, Manchester to the south-west and Bury to the west.  Manchester city-centre is 12 miles to the south west of Rochdale and is widely regarded as the Regional Centre for the North West of England.  It is a major attraction for residents of the Borough for shopping, leisure and employment, although for some there is now a rival attraction for shopping at the Trafford Centre to the west of the city.

3.4To the north and east the Borough is enclosed by the South Pennine moors.  From the hills the landscape is characterised by the valleys of the Rivers Roch, Spodden, Beal and Irk which feed into the Irwell in Bury and ultimately, the Mersey.  The river valleys define the traditional settlement patterns and lines of communication.

3.5Northwards is the Lancashire district of Rossendale within which Bacup, Rawtenstall and Haslingden are the main towns.  Eastwards is the West Yorkshire district of Calderdale which includes the towns of Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Halifax.

THE TOWNSHIPS

3.6Rochdale itself is the largest town in the Borough with nearly half of the total population (97,400) and is the main centre for shopping, services and employment.  The neighbouring towns of Bury and Oldham are of a similar size and are similarly important within their Boroughs.  Accordingly, they limit the significance of Rochdale in those directions but its influence does extend north and eastwards to the closest parts of Rossendale and Calderdale districts.  The largest concentration of employment uses outside the town centre is to west of the town near Castleton.  Rochdale is the focus of significant regeneration activity, including housing market renewal.

3.7Middleton is located half way between Rochdale and Manchester and is closely related economically and socially to Manchester.  It is approximately half the size of Rochdale with 45,700 residents.  The town centre includes a relatively modern indoor shopping centre but needs new development to draw back trade lost to surrounding areas. Employment is concentrated in and around the town centre, in east Middleton and at Stakehill Industrial Park, a major site to the north east of the town.  The town contains a large social housing estate at Langley which suffers from a poor residential environment and a mismatch of type and tenure to meet future demand. 

3.8Heywood (29,200) is located midway between - and only three miles from - Rochdale and Bury and looks to both towns and Boroughs for employment, shopping and leisure opportunities.  However, new retail development has boosted the town centre and Heywood Distribution Park is a major business location to the south of the town.  Heywood is the only town surrounded by Green Belt and an attractive rural landscape with river valleys (eg. Roch Valley, Ashworth and Cheesden Valleys), moorland to the north, and flat farmland to the south.  The extension of the East Lancashire Railway from Bury into Heywood offers new opportunities for leisure and tourism and related development.  New regeneration strategies are being prepared for Heywood and the town centre.

3.9Pennines Township (33,000) in the east of the Borough includes the smaller town of Littleborough and the villages of Milnrow, Newhey, Smithy Bridge and Wardle.  Only Wardle is physically separate from the main urban area although there are a small number of hamlets eg Rakewood and Ogden. Littleborough has the largest town centre which is also largely a Conservation Area.  The main employment areas are in Littleborough, Milnrow and Newhey.  Pennines contains extensive areas of countryside to the north and east which include hills, moorland reservoirs and wooded valleys, and important natural habitats.  Hollingworth Lake near Littleborough is a major visitor attraction for informal leisure and water sports.  Watergrove Reservoir near Wardle is also a visitor attraction for nature conservation and informal recreation.  Both areas give access to the South Pennine moors including stretches of the both the Pennine Way and Pennine Bridleway.

COMMUNICATIONS

3.10In transport terms the Borough is strategically located on main Trans Pennine routes, not least the M62 Motorway between the Humber Ports, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool including the Mersey Docks.  There are three junctions on the M62 serving the Borough plus the intersection with the M60 and M66 Motorways near Middleton.  The M60 Manchester Orbital Motorway passes along the Borough boundary with Manchester immediately to the south of Middleton and two junctions serve the town.  Manchester Airport to the south of Manchester is accessible from the M60.  The M66 Motorway northwards between Heywood and Bury connects Lancashire with Greater Manchester.  Two junctions serve Heywood and one further north serves a route into Rochdale.  Other than the motorways, main roads connect and go through the main centres.

3.11The main railway station is to the south of Rochdale town centre with good rail links with Manchester city-centre, Oldham and Calderdale, Bradford and Leeds.  Other stations are at Littleborough, Smithy Bridge, Milnrow, Newhey, Castleton and Mills Hill to the east of Middleton.  There is a commitment to develop the Oldham line including Milnrow and Newhey stations as part of the Greater Manchester Metrolink tram system, with new stations at Newbold and along an extension into Rochdale town centre.

POPULATION

3.12The population of the Borough is about 205,400. This is expected to increase to about 217,250 by 2021 with more marked increases in the elderly and South Asian populations. The vast majority of Borough's population is located within the urban area.  A very small rural population is scattered between farms, some small hamlets and the river valleys

3.13The number of households overall, and one and two person households in particular, are projected to increase over the next fifteen years. 

THE LOCAL ECONOMY

3.14Following the recessions of the 1980’s and 1990’s the Borough has benefited from growth and stability in the national economy.  The local economy has continued to restructure and grow with companies exploiting the Borough’s advantageous location, especially on the motorway network.  However, the legacy of the Borough’s reliance on declining traditional industries means there are still major problems with the local economy in terms of its strength and diversity.

3.15Compared to the UK, the local economy has an over-representation of manufacturing with an under representation of financial and business services. This represents a double problem for the local economy because the trend nationally is for employment in manufacturing to fall, with growth concentrated within service sectors such as financial, business services and public administration.

3.16Over 50% of the businesses, comprising 72% of employment, are in medium sized businesses (between 25 and 100 employees). 35% of manufacturing businesses are involved in exports making them vulnerable to international trade fluctuations.  Business survival rates are slightly lower than the UK and North-West rates.

3.17In terms of Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) competitiveness indicators, which provide a way of comparing the local economy to the regional and national situation and include the average rate of growth, average hourly earnings and business survival rates, the Borough under performs compared to the North-West and UK.

3.18Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita growth in the North-West and the Borough has failed to keep pace with that of the European Union or the UK.  The NWDA’s Regional Strategy sets a target, supported by Regional Planning Guidance (RPG), to raise the level of GDP per capita to within 92% of the UK average by 2006.

3.19Rural economic activities are not a major source of employment in the Borough and farming in particular (which is predominantly a part time low-income occupation) has declined in recent years.  Mineral extraction, tourism, sport, recreation, and forestry are all low-key, and traditional industrial activities are changing and contracting.  More farm diversification and the creation of new business opportunities, especially relating to tourism, are needed to maintain incomes and support the infrastructure and the natural and built assets on which a thriving countryside depends.  Appropriate diversification and essential development should not be unduly constrained by Green Belt policies.

3.20Rochdale's economy is under-performing, and needs to expand, modernise and diversify in order to generate wealth locally and assist regeneration.  (See Key Objective KO/1).

WORKFORCE AND EMPLOYMENT

3.21Rochdale Metropolitan Borough has a working age population (16-59 women and 16-64 men) of 127,300. The average age of the population will fall between 2001 and 2011.  However, projections indicate that the size of the resident labour force will stay at about 97,500 between 2001 & 2011.

3.22Employment in the Borough has risen from 62,400 employees in 1991, the low point of 1990’s recession, to 84,900 (employees) and 95,800 (employees and self-employed people) in 2006.

3.23The changing structure of the local economy, from manufacturing to service industries, is also changing the type of employment. Participation in the labour market is changing away from full time male employment, to part time female employment.  Activity rates are increasing substantially among women, although they are still lower than those for men.

3.24In comparison with the average for Greater Manchester, Rochdale has a lower proportion of people employed in professional, managerial and technical occupations but a higher proportion of semi-skilled and unskilled workforce.  The lower skill levels of the workforce and the lower proportion of quality jobs are reflected in the generally lower levels of pay within the Borough.  In 2006, the average gross weekly earnings in the Borough were £398.20 compared with the North West average of £409.7 and the England & Wales average of £447.50

3.25Improvement of the skill levels in the Borough is strongly related to educational attainment and training.  In 2001, 5.8% left school with no qualifications at all compared with a national average of 5.5%. Although this gap has narrowed, education and training need to focus on equipping people with skills they can take from one job to the next.  Progress towards achieving national targets has been limited.    

3.26Unemployment has continued to drop, from 8.9% (8524) in October 1994 to 3.4% (4368) in June 2006, however it is still consistently above both the national (2.5%) and Greater Manchester averages (2.8%).  The level of unemployment varies considerably across the Borough with particularly high rates in the older inner area wards (10.2% in Central & Falinge in April 2006), compared with the lowest rate of 0.9% in Norden and Bamford.  Some of the highest rates are found amongst residents of Asian origin. The Borough has a below average long term unemployed rate due to the increasing numbers of local temporary jobs.

3.27Agriculture is the primary source of rural employment with over 250 farm holdings.  These are mostly small scale, often part-time, operations based on sheep/beef, dairying with some pig and poultry rearing.  Low incomes and in some cases a lack of family succession may result in longer-term uncertainty for many farm operations.  Employment levels at some long-established industrial complexes in the Green Belt may decline unless these businesses are able to re-invest in buildings and infrastructure, expand or redevelop.  Tourism, recreation, and landscape management are likely to be the main expanding areas for future employment.

3.28The range and quality of employment opportunities, and access to jobs, therefore needs to be improved (See Key Objective KO/1)

HOUSING

3.29 Within the Borough 39% of the housing stock is terraced housing.  A very high proportion of these properties are within the inner urban areas, which currently have an oversupply. Although some terraced housing remains popular, 29% of terraced houses are unfit, according to the 2003 Housing Stock Condition Survey, and prices for these properties remain lower than the rest of the region. The Survey also found that 5.1% of dwellings in the private sector were unfit for human habitation with a further 16.2% seriously defective.  Although at present demand for social housing across the Borough is strong there is still a need on some estates to achieve more balanced housing market areas by providing wider choice in terms of housing type and tenure.  The Housing Market Renewal Initiative and Heywood New Deal for Communities will provide a great opportunity to tackle these and other issues across the Borough.  House price data shows that housing in the Borough is cheaper than the average for Greater Manchester.  However, there are still a number of people who can not afford to buy or rent on the open market.  It will be important therefore to improve the quality, choice and affordability of housing. (See Key Objective KO/2)

HEALTH

3.30The Borough’s population suffers from generally poor health as indicated by the Standard Mortality Ratio (SMR).  The SMR for the Borough is 119 (the national average is 100) compared with 110 for the North-West.  As with the other social indicators there are great variances within the Borough ranging from 96 to 157.  The UDP is limited in its ability to address health issues but overall its policies can assist in creating a cleaner, healthier environment.  (See Key Objective KO/2)

DEPRIVATION

3.31All of the above problems, in relation to the economy, employment, income, education, housing and health, have an adverse impact on levels of deprivation across the Borough.  The 2004 Indices of Deprivation (ID 2004)  show that the Borough ranks as one of the most deprived districts in England. In the ID 2004 Rochdale Borough ranks between 12th & 46th most deprived Local Authority in England out of a total of 354 Local Authority districts.  The Indices used  indicators across a wide range of topics topics including Income, Employment, Health Deprivation and Disability, Education, Skills and Training, Barriers to Housing and Services, Crime and the Living Environment.  The geographical areas used for the ID 2004 are Super Output Areas (SOAs) which are areas containing on average around 1500 people.  Of the 135 SOAs which make up the Borough, 35 are in the 10% most deprived SOAs in England and are spread across the Borough..  There is therefore a need to promote the regeneration of those areas and communities that are the most deprived or in greatest need.  (See Key Objective KO/2)

ROCHDALE'S ENVIRONMENT

3.32The appearance of older urban areas have suffered in a number of places from the effects of the decline of traditional industries, from deteriorating housing, and from general lack of maintenance and investment.  Whilst area improvement programmes have dealt with both housing and environmental conditions in particular neighbourhoods, some older or disadvantaged housing areas still suffer from poor visual environments and from their proximity to industrial areas or activities.

3.33Many older industrial areas have been the subject of regeneration activities but within most areas there are buildings of poor fabric with limited potential for modern uses to encourage investment and re-use.  Town centres and those areas on the fringe of town centres also require continued investment and environmental improvement.  Although the borough has relatively little derelict land, there are a significant number of degraded vacant or underused sites, within both urban and rural areas.  The redevelopment or re-use of these is often difficult due to physical constraints (e.g. contamination), or for economic reasons. 

3.34Within rural areas, past activities, e.g. mineral-working, industrial activities, unsympathetic farm diversification and a general lack of investment and low incomes have left their mark on the landscape (e.g., dereliction and poor land management).  Important issues for the plan include: the regeneration of rural landscapes and rural buildings; the future of developed sites and mill complexes in rural areas; and how rural uses and new rural enterprises can assist the protection and enhancement of the rural landscape as well as the rural economy.

3.35Traffic congestion and its effects is also a problem in some parts of the borough although less so than in parts of the conurbation core.  Poor air quality is an issue along the M62/60 motorway corridor and the A58 corridor (where emissions of nitrogen dioxide and fine particles are expected to exceed government targets if appropriate measures are not taken).  An Air Quality Management Area has been declared as a first step in addressing this issue but the UDP will have a role to play in tackling air quality issues in general through its land-use and transport policies.  In general, however, air quality in the Borough has improved in recent years as a result of regulating industry and the tightening of emissions standards for vehicles.

3.36The quality and accessibility of recreational and natural open spaces within all of the borough's towns is currently an issue.  Whilst the borough boasts attractive town parks and gardens and corridors or wedges of open land linking town and country, there is scope to improve the potential of theses areas and to establish good quality local spaces and recreational facilities in areas of deficiency.

3.37Continuing to improve environmental quality through new development, better design, conservation and enhancement is vital not only to achieve a more attractive and healthier environment but also to also achieve regeneration and revitalise the economy.  (See Key Objective KO/3)

PHYSICAL RESOURCES

3.38Land is the Borough's most important physical resource.  It is important for its development potential and its value for agriculture, biodiversity, recreation and the resources it contains e.g. soils, minerals and water.  Although part of the Greater Manchester conurbation, more than two thirds of the Borough is open countryside.  Most of the countryside is Green Belt and this includes agricultural land, woodland, natural landscape features areas of ecological value, mineral deposits, water catchment areas and reservoirs, and areas of heritage value.

3.39Land available for development is limited, given the physical structure and topography of the area, the constraints of the Green Belt and the need to protect the countryside.  Consequently, the Council believes that the developed area of the borough cannot increase significantly without harming the surrounding countryside or retaining the character of individual towns.  Equally, however, it recognises the importance of catering for the development needs of the Borough's population.  The Plan therefore needs to strike a balance between the two.  To do this it needs to make the most effective use of urban land and property and focus attention on the re-use of derelict, vacant and underused land and buildings.

3.40The Borough contains significant mineral resources which are a valuable raw material for many industries including construction.  The main mineral deposits include sandstone and gritstone, sand and gravel, and workable resources need to be protected from development.

3.41Soil quality in the Borough is generally poor in comparison to the most productive agricultural areas in the country.  There is no grade 1 or 2 agricultural land which is the highest quality resource and approximately 8.9% of land is of grade 3 standard, which is primarily located in a relatively small area lying between Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton.  Whilst the borough's agricultural land is an important resource for grazing, equestrian use and limited crop growing, it is also important for helping to maintain the character and quality of the landscape, and biodiversity.  Within the inner urban areas and in parts of the urban fringe, allotment sites are quite widespread.

3.42Water is an important resource in the Borough for domestic and business supplies, biodiversity, water sports and countryside recreation and as a key feature of the landscape and industrial heritage e.g., river valleys and upland reservoirs.  The principal rivers in the Borough are the Roch, Beal, Irk and Spodden.  There is a significant legacy of pollution in many of the main watercourses but due to measures to reduce pollution discharges and clean up existing problems, water quality is generally improving.  The Rochdale Canal runs through the Borough and is an important and valuable asset with respect to the recreational opportunities it offers, the focus it provides for urban regeneration and as an internationally important site for nature conservation.  

3.43The Borough has a range of natural assets that provide a potential resource for renewable energy technologies. Many parts of the Borough’s uplands are sufficiently windy to have potential for wind power generation, in particular the South Pennine uplands.  There may also be potential to utilise water bodies for hydro-electric power, and to develop other technologies.

3.44The borough has a diversity of landscape character and habitats. The South Pennine fringes to the north and east of the borough contain high moorland and upland farm enclosures.  Scattered farms and in many areas, reservoirs and other water features are prominent in the landscape.  River valleys extend into the core of the urban areas. To the south and west the landscape is at a lower altitude and consists of predominantly rolling farmscapes running between the towns of Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton and along the M60 Motorway corridor.  The countryside around towns is important in separating and providing a setting for towns but also in providing a resource for the urban population to enjoy.  However some areas need enhancement, better management and positive policies to encourage appropriate use.

3.45The Borough has a rich natural heritage with a diversity of landscape character and habitats.  Woodland cover is low amounting to only 2.5% of the land area but it remains an important feature of the landscape, in particular in the river valleys.

3.46There are currently 3 Local Nature Reserves in the Borough and many other sites e.g. Watergrove Reservoir are actively managed for their nature conservation interest.  There are currently 43 Sites of Biological Importance ranging from small urban sites to extensive areas of moorland.  The South Pennine Moors on the eastern fringe of the borough also includes a part of the South Pennine Moors SSSI, Special Protection Area and Special Area for Conservation (SAC) based on its value for moorland birds.  The Rochdale Canal is a SBI, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area for Conservation.  In addition there are many sites and features of interest in both town and country such as rivers and streams, hedgerows, woodlands, ponds and meadows which create a mosaic of interest and a series of wildlife corridors throughout the borough.

3.47With regard to the built heritage, there are currently 332 listed buildings in the borough, 3 scheduled ancient monuments and 16 conservation areas.  Just over half the listed buildings are in rural areas, and slightly more than half the conservation areas are in urban areas.  A quarter of the borough's listed buildings are at risk through lack of occupancy or structural decline and new uses and investment is essential if those buildings are to survive.

3.48It is important that these physical resources are prudently used, protected or managed through a sustainable approach to development and land-use.  (see Key Objective KO/4)

Policy Context

3.49In preparing this Plan the Council has taken into account national and regional planning policy issued by the Government, and relevant local strategies prepared by the Council and its partners.

National and Regional Policy

3.50The Council has taken account of national planning policy as set out in Planning Policy Guidance Notes (PPGs).  Where relevant, the reasoned justifications to individual policies make reference to the PPGs that have influenced them. 

3.51The Plan has been prepared in conformity with Regional Planning Guidance for the North-West (RPG 13) as revised in March 2003.   This provides a development framework for the North-West up to 2016 but will be replaced by the Regional Spatial Strategy in 2007. The primary aims of RPG are to: promote the regeneration of the conurbation; increase the attractiveness of major cities and towns for new development; and improve the transport infrastructure to make urban areas more accessible, especially by public transport, walking and cycling.

3.52RPG identifies Rochdale Borough as part of the Mersey Belt.  The Mersey Belt is targeted as a Regeneration Priority Area and a significant proportion of development and urban renaissance resources will be concentrated in the conurbations of Greater Manchester and Merseyside.

3.53Pending the revision of RPG the ten Greater Manchester councils have prepared a Strategic Planning Framework for the County.  Rochdale Council has endorsed this Framework and used it to guide the UDP Review.

3.54Account has also been taken of the Greater Manchester Local Transport Plan.  The UDP’s land use and accessibility policies are compatible with LTP objectives, and specific allocations have been included in the UDP in support of LTP priorities.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – THE KEY PRIORITY

3.55The Government expects that the planning system will make a substantial contribution to the achievement of ‘sustainable development’.  Sustainable development is described as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs".  In order to achieve sustainable development, four priorities have been identified which need to be met at the same time, in the UK and the world as a whole:

3.56The Government expects to see Plans appraised for their ‘sustainability’ and that such appraisals are published with the Plan.  Such an appraisal has been carried out in parallel with this first deposit plan and published with it.

THE COMMUNITY PLAN AND OTHER LOCAL STRATEGIES

3.57The Council has prepared a Community Plan ‘Pride of Place’ in partnership with local residents, the business community and a wide range of public and voluntary organisations.  Looking ahead to 2021, it sets out a vision for the future, and provides a partnership framework for promoting and improving the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the Borough.  As such, it sets the strategic context and key priorities for all other Council strategies and plans, including the UDP Review. 

3.58The Community Plan has 12 aims:

3.59The UDP provides the strategic land-use planning framework through which these aims will be pursued.

3.60Other local strategies and initiatives that have influenced the UDP Review include: