The leader of Rochdale Council has called on the government to build a new railway station in the borough. An ambitious £70bn Strategic Transport Plan was unveiled last week to overhaul connectivity links across the North of England, reducing travel times of rail and road from as far North as Newcastle, South as Sheffield, East as Hull and as West as Liverpool.

We’ll be hosting the Lancashire Development Plans Conference in the region soon, with transport likely to be a key topic with the current focus of HS2 set to revolutionise the regions.

The Transport for the North (TfN) plans to create additional high-speed lines would ‘create the perfect opportunity for a new commuter station in the borough’ according to Councillor Allen Brett. He said: We’ve suffered outdated and poor rail services that were deemed unfit for the South of England decades ago for far too long. With potential for a new line passing straight through Rochdale it’s time that the government and TfN looked at getting the wheels in motion for a new station in our borough. We are currently consulting on plans to identify new sites for housing and employment which could create 19,000 jobs and 7,000 new homes to really boost the economy to the tune of £600m. The Northern Gateway is the biggest growth opportunity in Greater Manchester and it would radically change the economic landscape of the borough, but we need the infrastructure to support it and this presents the perfect opportunity.

The current connectivity in the region is supported by Rochdale Railway Station, but nearby Heywood and West Middleton are not served by either Metrolink or a rail line.

Leaders of both public and private sectors will join at the Lancashire Development Plans Conference to discuss future opportunities for the region and development plans to help the region grow – so join us there!