Rochdale Interchange relocation played key role in town centre regeneration
A new report has found that the relocation of Rochdale Interchange played a key role in the regeneration of the town centre.
The £12m project created the facility in the town centre and freed up land at the former bus station site for the Rochdale Riverside retail and leisure development.
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The report by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) finds that without the new Interchange, which opened in 2013, it would not have been possible to deliver the near-complete £250m town centre masterplan.
The new Interchange is viewed as a vast improvement on the previous facility, offering a prominent modern gateway to the town centre.
There has also been an increase in people’s feelings of safety when it is dark - rising from 45% of users feeling safe at the previous facility to 93% of users at the new interchange.
The Interchange also provided a blueprint for future interchange projects including the new facility at Stockport that opened last year.
Councillor Danny Meredith, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “The new interchange is a major part of the wider regeneration of Rochdale town centre and was a catalyst for the huge amount of investment this area has enjoyed in recent years, which has transformed it beyond all recognition.”
Adding: “Rochdale’s excellent connectivity, not just in the town centre, but across the borough, is one of the many things that makes it an attractive place to live. Having first class transport facilities like the interchange make it easier for people to use public transport to get about.”
Paul Ambrose, Manager of Rochdale BID, said: “The Interchange has made a huge difference to residents, visitors and the business community. It is a first class facility that is safe and welcoming, and sits impressively alongside key town centre regeneration schemes, which include Number One Riverside ,the multi-use public building, the Rochdale Riverside leisure and retail scheme, and Upper Banks, which comprises the Hampton by Hilton Hotel and 242 apartments.”
Adding: “Taken together, these projects, have significantly increased the number of people living and working in the town centre, as well as the number of visitors to Rochdale.”