How much was spent on this consultation farce?

Rochdale taxpayers have a right to know where their money goes.

Please can the Chief Executive disclose this information with a full break down of expenditure from Rochdale Council, the Impact Partnership and Rochdale Development Agency on this fiasco.

How much does Mr Hudson of the RDA get in pay and bonuses?

   The whole manner in which this so called public consultation has been handled and what appears to be going on behind the scenes should be investigated.

There appears to be an undisclosed relationship between Rochdale Council, "Partnership" companies that spend taxpayers money (Impact Partnershipand Rochdale Development Agency) and certain developers.

To add further insult to injury, all this is presented to the town in the form of press releases and advertorials that are paid for by taxpayers' money. It was disclosed last month that Rochdale Council spent over 2 million pounds of our money was spent last year on "promoting" Rochdale. When did we have a say in how our money is wasted on such tripe?

If something is broken then fix it rather than spend our cash on trying to tell us everything is wonderful. It just doesn't wash.

Businesses in Rochdale are suffering yet it seems our town is burning while councillors as officers fiddle. The tune they are trying to play is not music to our ears.

Pouring concrete and producing fancy plans for yet more shops may profit the developers but our councillors were voted for by local people. Reading the recent council press releases, many of our politicians seem to be little more than mouthpeices for developers and unelected officers pushing grandiose schemes whilst local businesses are left out in the cold with a few scraps.

Real vision would include proper facilities for local people to benefit from and for visitors to our town to enjoy without the need for a store card.

As one of the "1000's" of participants in the consultation I was told by one of the developers’ representatives that the whole Town centre regeneration scheme centered on Marks and Spencer and Debenhams.

Well, now that the High Street retailers are jumping off their financial cliffs , where does that leave Rochdale?

Farcical. We are being let down once again in Rochdale.

Recently Mr Ellis, Rochdale Council's unelected Chief Executive, threw down the gauntlet and challenged people to tell him what was wrong with the way things are done in Rochdale. Well Mr Ellis, lets start with your Council and the secret deals that have been done with a local developer over Oakenrod school and land that is earmarked for part of this £100 million+ town centre regeneration.

This is our town and its future at stake. Our money is involved and we deserve to be told everything.

   This is a sad thing to say but many people in Rochdale will not bother because they are wholeheartedly sick and tired of the way regeneration is bulldozed through out town.

All this talk of consultation is just hot air. Involving townsfolk is mere windowdressing dotting the i's and crossing the t's on a contract that has been drafted. And it will be no surprise as to who will get the contract.

The consultation was a sham. Do we want shops, shops or shops?

There was nothing that reflected out town's pennine or industrial heritage. unless they spend money I saw nothing for young people -apart from sitting around some non-descript steps or a rubbish bit of modern art given the sop of a reference to John Bright. I noticed our grand statute to him wasn't in the artwork- it would have made the tin sheets and glass panes look even more cheap. No soul, no culture, no character just yet another bland concete shopping temple to the god mammon. And to add insult to injury, Rochdale Council have already spent hundreds of thousands destroying an historic chapel and the destinctive Electric House BEFORE any consultation or planning permission has been processed. On top of this the newly refurbished St Andrews church could be flattened and Skylight circus made homeless. Given the promises the council have broken in the past then no wonder people are apathetic to these horrible plans.