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Tenants' new era of co-operation

26/ 1/2008

A NEW era of co-operation between Rochdale council and its housing tenants came into being 25 years ago this month with the opening of the first tenants’ estate office.

Such offices are now a familiar feature of most housing estates, but in 1983 they were very much new – and as then untested – experiment.

The first tenants’ office in Rochdale was the Cloverhall estate office, opened by the then mayor, Councillor Robert Stott, watched by a youthful housing committee chairman, Alan Taylor, now leader of the council of course, and housing officer Don Simpson, as our photograph from the Observer archives reveals.

It was a dream come true for Cloverhall tenants’ association who had been pressing for tenant management of the estate for a year or more.

Finally their efforts bore fruit, the new office being a joint project with the council’s housing department.

The office, at 14 Farm Walk, had involved the complete renovation and redecoration of the premises which were converted to accommodate a reception room and kitchen downstairs, and a meeting room and storage space upstairs.

Ward councillor at the time, Councillor John Connell said: "Cloverhall has got a history, but the future is attractive.

"This is going to be a desirable estate in the future."

Councillor Taylor observed with prescient insight: "This is just the start. Other tenants associations are also very interested."