There has been a lot of spin recently about a billion pounds of regeneration for Rochdale. Unfortunately the cash spoken of is funny money, promised by comedians. Perhaps 74% of Observer readers polled are not impressed by the town centre plans shows that their game is up.

There is a piece of planning jargon that Rochdale Observer readers and taxpayers should know about. The phrase is “speculative build”. This is when a building project is done without a tenant or buyer for the finished project. Although this doesn’t make much commercial sense it is happening on a huge scale in Rochdale.

The Taxpayers Alliance has researched this growing scandal. A whole new local industry has been created to take our tax money and splash it around as “regeneration”. There are public relations consultants, civil engineering companies, lawyers, financiers and new companies set up in partnership with the council and private business. It really is a beanfeast.

Where is our money being spent in Rochdale? On “speculative build” projects such as empty office blocks by the canal, empty industrial units on Kingsway and daft plans for even more shops for the town centre.

What about the knocking down of old peoples homes in Newbold and perfectly good houses only built 25 years ago? Why? So that fancy flats can be built close to the proposed £300 million+ Metrolink extension that will go via Oldham – a line that most Rochdale commuters will not use. In reality, Metrolink for Rochdale isn’t a transport scheme – it is a “regeneration aspiration” that will cost us all very dearly if it goes ahead. Starting with £6 per car congestion charge. At least Dick Turpin wore a mask.

There are other consequences of the Rochdale Regeneration Game inckluding the gridlock on our roads just reported in the Observer.

A dangerous Dodgem-style roundabout at Oldham Road to replace a crossroads but then new crossroads at Sudden and Townhead, to replace the roundabouts. Genius. As the fiasco at Halifax Road proved last year, traffic experts get things wrong but the cash money-go-round still spins to fill the pockets of the regeneration specialists, planning consultants and builders.

No doubt the Council’s Chief Executive and Leader of the Council will publish another gushing defence of “good news” for Rochdale. They shouldn’t bother. We are not stupid and don’t believe this shallow spin.

That begs one final question- How much of OUR money is spent on public relations, media and regeneration consultants to promote planning speculation in Rochdale?

   Today people are loosing there identity, through bigger, shinner, things, here you have a chance to draw in the tourist with a design showing your heritage, that promotes a calmer atmosphere.

Colin Arnold New Zealand