‘Neglected, overlooked and under-resourced'. That’s how one Heywood businessman described the town earlier this year after a rock bottom turnout at the local elections.
People in Heywood have long complained of living in the shadow of Rochdale, getting nothing but ‘hanging baskets and soaring council tax’ since being lumped in with its bigger neighbour nearly 50 years ago. But that could be about to change, with £100m set to be invested as part of a new ‘growth strategy’, aimed at revitalising the town centre and boosting its connections to Manchester city centre and beyond.
Not all the cash has yet been drawn down, but the schemes should be completed over the next two to four years, with the exception of the tram-train which is expected to open in 2029.
