Kingsway Business Park – For Gods Sake Come to Rochdale

By 6 commentsRides, Tat

Nice Ride, Shame About the Emptiness

Last weekend, we had a family ride around the bike paths that encircle and crisscross Kingsway Business Park, which is apparently

one of the biggest, highest quality and most strategically important new commercial property developments of its kind in the UK.

This quote, of course, is taken the official website of the development.  In truth (and this is just my opinion for legal reasons) the development is a sad white elephant and a shameful reflection of how bad governance can render a fantastic idea useless.

On the one hand, you’d think that combining the North West Regional Development Agency, Rochdale Council, Rochdale Development Agency and private developers would be a powerful mix.  On the other hand, a committee approach to the development seems to have produced a vast, flattened landscape bisected by excellent roads and wonderful cycle paths.  The vital ingredient seems to be missing…

Where Are The Bloody Businesses?

From what I can gather, planning the Business Park took years longer than was anticipated.  Throughout 20 years of a constantly-growing economy, Rochdale Councillors and regional groups debated the best way of moving the development forwards.  Years passed.  Tree-hugging sandal-wearers fought the cause for the local wildlife because, seemingly, the poorly-draining farmland was a haven for some creatures that liked living in boggy fields.  Years passed…

Then, eventually, work began.  Roads were built.  houses were bulldozed.  Listed buildings were compulsoriuly purchased at great expense.  The one which was earmarked to be the new pub in the middle of the Business Park was, last weekend, partially burnt down by vandals because of course it’s still empty.

Then, with perfectly ironic timing, the economy crashed.  Businesses either stopped expanding, or reined-in spending either to protect themselves from the new risks, or because they couldn’t get mortgages against new property.  Foreign businesses stopped looking to move into the UK… the global business outlook grew dim.  Kingsway Business Park was all dressed up, with nowhere to go and almost nobody to move in.

Green Shoots

In fairness, there’s a small cluster of a few buildings alongside the motorway at the Minrow end of the development.  I sincerely hope we’ll see someone else move in soon.  It’s strangely saddening to be able to enjoy quiet cycle paths intersecting the former farmland between Milnrow and Oldham Road: an expanse of short grass and compacted rubble where formerly cattle roamed and houses stood.

For once, I’m not that grateful for the unbroken great outdoors.  Rochdale needs the jobs; our kids need the prospects.

Road To Nowhere?

But for now, my kids love the traffic-free fun and openness.  Every cloud, I suppose….

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6 comments on “Kingsway Business Park – For Gods Sake Come to Rochdale”

  1. Clive Chapman

    A camel is a horse designed by comittee mate. I could point to the MOD procurement process and some of the shite we had to put up with over the years.

    There is an argument that says anything important should be managed by a dictatorship. It’s one I subscribe to.

  2. Phill

    I couldn’t agree more. Benevolent dictatorship is the way to go. The only problem is the lack of benevolent dictators… unfortunately the nature of democracy means that egotists (who are obviously all evil) are drawn to public service as it’s the only way they can appear popular with a lack of more useful talents. It’s all true!

  3. ridingthemoor

    I For one would welcome new businesses coming to Kingsway. I think our office should re-locate there (not going to happen because i’m the only one daft enough to commute from the North to the South of Manchester).

    But there is a new business moving here this year, so hopefully more will follow.

  4. Phill

    I think my business should relocate there too. We’re only in Royton so most of the staff would hardly notice the difference. Except me, who could cycle or even walk to work!
    Hopefully things will start to get better when this recession wanes and reinvestment takes place. I’m sure there are great incentives from the NWRDA and there’s some Euro support available too, I believe. fingers crossed…

  5. Richard

    Two of the earlier comments illustrate an interesting point- they talk about relocating to the site. I would imagine, that even when the business park is busier than now (a long way hence, it would seem) that most of the jobs there will have relocated from somewhere rather than be genuine new opportunities. Much more has been done here than on other industrial estates to preserve some of what was there before, but still there is the loss of valuable green belt land that separated Rochdale and Milnrow, a loss of listed buildings and rights of way. And I wonder when the wildlife “temporarily” relocated to Chester Zoo and elsewhere will make its return- and just how successful that return will be. I have in mind developments at Manchester Airport- the cargo centre in the 90s, the second runway, the under-occupied business parks and soon “Airport City”. All promised lots of extra employment yet the proportion of people not engaged in employment in adjacent Wythenshawe does not seem to have moved much…..

  6. Phill

    All good points Richard – there can only be so much business overall, so where do teh jobs come from, and if they’re more efficiently provided then there might in fact be fewer jobs overall.
    But, from a local point of view, jobs which are new to the Rochdale/Milnrow area should be a good thing for the local economy, provided there’s some infrastructure near the development which allows them to share some of their earnings in the local area.
    So far, there doesn’t seem to be much of this atall, unless you count Gordon Rigg’s and Morrisons. As far as I can see, there’s nowhere on the development where employees can spend any time. There was the intention for the pub to be rebuilt, but arsonists and the chasing away of Village Hotels in a turn-about by Rochdale Councillors seem to have put paid to that idea.
    So, maybe I can add the John Milne Premier Inn to that list…?

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