Rochdale council recently rejected calls to pull its green belt sites from the region's development masterplan - dismissing mooted changes to the planning system as 'cynical' government electioneering. The housing secretary has announced a consultation on a revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) will start before Christmas - but how this will affect Rochdale's long-term strategy remains to be seen.
Yet the £100m regeneration of the town centre continues apace - with progress on the next phase of the Riverside development being clear to anyone who has visited over the last few months. There also plans to plough £20m of Levelling Up monies into the area around the town's railway station, while the opening of the new 'Queen Elizabeth Way' M62 link road has also opened up economic opportunities in Heywood.
So, while the future remains uncertain, there appears to be no risk of things entirely grinding to a halt in Rochdale. Below are some of the major schemes that could change the face of the borough over the next 12 months and beyond.
