Rochdale Borough Council’s Cabinet has reaffirmed its commitment to the Rochdale Riverside retail and leisure development.
Councillors had been asked to consider the future direction of the scheme, following the announcement late last year by anchor tenant M&S that it intended to pull out of the development.
But councillors vowed to press ahead with the £80m scheme at a special meeting held on Thursday, 4 January 2018.
‘We’re not going to let this issue derail what will be a fantastic development for the people of our borough’
Council leader, Councillor Allen Brett, said: “As far as we’re concerned, M&S have signed a legally binding contract to take space in the Rochdale Riverside development and we fully expect them to honour that commitment.
“We’re not going to let this issue derail what will be a fantastic development for the people of our borough, bringing 24 shops, restaurants and a 6-screen cinema to the heart of Rochdale town centre. We will continue to work with our partner, Genr8, to deliver this game changing development for our residents and visitors.”
Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for regeneration, said: “We’re gearing up to make a number of high profile announcements about the scheme in the next few weeks and more extensive ground investigations, needed to assess conditions before construction starts, will be getting under way next week. This is about a new and exciting future for Rochdale and we fully intend to deliver it.”
