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Turner’s site developers call for public support
Dave Appleton12/ 6/2007
THE company behind plans to build houses on the former Turner Brothers site - once home to the largest asbestos works in the world - has appealed to the people of Rochdale to get behind it.
And it has also aimed a broadside at Jason Addy, a leading campaigner against plans to build 600 homes on the site.
Heywood-based MMC Developments Ltd and Rathbone Jersey Ltd (MMC-Rathbone) made its plea after its partner in the development, Countryside Properties, unexpectedly pulled out last week.
In a short statement following the decision to withdraw, Countryside Properties subsidiary managing director, Ian Kelley, said: "I can confirm Countryside Propertries has not renewed its option with the landowners to bring forward the regeneration of the Turner Brothers site.
"Given our long-standing relationship with Rochdale Borough Council we have every faith that the site will be developed to the highest standards in the long term and wish all parties well."
In a statement on Monday, MMC-Rathbone said: "Countryside Properties Ltd has withdrawn from the planning application for a mixed use scheme on the former Turner Brothers site because they became disillusioned with the apparent unwillingness of the town planning department to deal with the application as a result of the ill-founded and negative publicity generated by Jason Addy's campaign.
"The people of Rochdale should keep in mind that the site owners have not caused the contamination problems on the site. This was inherited from Federal Mogul. In fact, quite to the contrary, MMC-Rathbone are trying very hard to find a mixed use solution comprising both residential and employment uses which will pay for a comprehensive site clean-up, as approved in the Rochdale development plan when it met with no objection.
"This will provide both much needed and good quality new jobs and new housing."
The statement went on to say that the land owners have directors born in the borough of Rochdale, with parents also born and bred in Rochdale who had worked on the site as youngsters and 'so are acutely aware of the issues involved and the need to undertake the development in a thorough manner'.
"MMC-Rathbone remain absolutely determined to reach this solution to the historic problem and request the support of Rochdalians and the commitment of the planning department to reach quite a feasible solution which will benefit everyone."
The developers were also highly critical of the role played by Mr Addy in the continuing row about the land.
"If we were to cave in to Jason Addy's uninformed scaremongering and let him have his way, which we most certainly won't, the site would remain a contaminated eyesore on the face of Rochdale in eternity, and all the surrounding houses and properties will be devalued by his badly thought out obsession."
But Mr Addy hit back saying fair-minded people would draw their own conclusions: "Our community campaign has been host to hundreds of supporters at public meetings, over 1,000 individual objections have been lodged against the planning application, internationally respected experts have freely given their time to the important issues raised.
"Save Spodden Valley's real and legitimate concerns have been vindicated by the independent Atkins report and debates in parliament."
CLICK on the video link for Channel M's report ...
Most recent 2 of 4 user comments
Having read many articles over many months surrounding the former TBA site and following up from your recent piece in Wednesday's Observer, I'd like to add my twopeneth to the 'debate' if I may.
I'm somewhat at a loss to understand Jason Addy's objection to the site being developed. Surely a site cleared of the asbestos contamination is better than one left alone or am I missing something?
Save Spodden Valley is the campaign Mr Addy is running but save it from what exactly? It has been an industrial site for many years and there are still some businesses operating in the area. It isn't a beauty spot, nor in my lifetime has it ever been so. I played in the 'Spod' as a child, among the bubbling blue froth in the lifeless river and the stench of pollution that oozed from the bubbles. Thankfully all that is gone now and the river has fish instead of old rusting shopping trolleys.
Lets go the whole hog and clean up the surrounding area, build houses to finance the clear up. It seems like a no-brainer to me or as I said before - am I missing something?
14/06/2007 at 01:47
Got an opinion you want to share?Do you think Rochdale is unfairly portrayed in the national media?
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I wonder how many of the company directors would actually raise their families in homes on the site and if they would allow their children to live and play in the area while the land is being 'cleansed'?
16/06/2007 at 15:50