Next Meeting 19.00 Tuesday 2nd June 2025 at Norden Methodist Church OL12 7QE
Norden Area Forum
Tuesday 18th March 2024
Norden Methodist Church, Edenfield Road,
Norden, Rochdale OL12 7QE
MINUTES
Present: N Morrell (Chair) and 21 members of the public
Councillors: Councillor Winkler
Officers: R Hudson (Township and Engagement Officer, RBC),
K Hoyle (Township and Engagement Officer, RBC)
2 GMP Officers (B. Walsh and M Giblin)
Apologies: Councillor Holly, Councillor Gartside and 2 members of the public
The Chair opened the meeting welcoming all in attendance. Apologies were given and attention was drawn to the code of conduct and terms of reference.
2. MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING AND MATTERS ARISING
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved.
Planning Process
Following a request at the previous meeting with regards to an explanation regarding clarification on the process for identifying planning applications which are deemed suitable for delegated decision vs committee decision. It was stated by the member of the public that asked for the clarification that the response received was a comprehensive answer.
Local Plan
The Chair again encouraged residents to contact strategic.planning@rochdale.gov.uk to request to be added to the email circulation list in order to receive updates.
Edenfield Road – Sink Hole
The meeting was informed that the sink hole area will continue to be monitored for any movement.
3. GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE
The following statistics were given for the period of the last three months:
Criminal damage – 1 down from 8
Theft offences – 5 same as 3 months ago
Public order offences – 16 up from 4
Possession of drugs – 0
Residential burglaries – 4 down from 13
Vehicle offences – 1
Off road offences – 6 up from 5
GMP surgery.
GMP reported that attendance had been low and that in order to try and improve attendance they are looking at better advertising of the events.
Reporting of crimes
GMP encouraged residents to report all crimes and discussed that reporting could be done via the on-line chat facility on the Greater Manchester Police website. This way of reporting supplies an incident number just the same as reporting over the telephone or in person. It was stressed that this was for non-emergency issues and to always dial 999 in an emergency situation
Operation Dragster
The meeting was informed that it is hoped that more operations of this nature will take part this year as it was highly successful.
PC Giblin advised that GMP are still pursuing the long process involved in putting a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in place, which is a process already undertaken by neighbouring Lancashire Police. The Chair gave thanks to GMP for their sterling efforts.
Speeding issues in Norden
A discussion was had around the issue of speeding in the Norden area. A resident asked if more resources to traffic police were available with GMP stating that more patrols were being trained in advanced driving at the moment which should in the future, lead to more patrols that can tackle speeding drivers.
Anti-social behaviour patrols
The police officers in attendance informed the meeting that ASB patrols had been out in the Ashworth Road area.
Cannabis Farm
It was reported that a cannabis farm had been detected and closed down on the boundary of Bamford and Norden in February 24
4. OPEN FORUM
IX Wireless - Masts
This matter was discussed again at great length and local residents expressed their disappointment again about the masts.
Councillor Winkler updated that Rochdale Borough Council had taken advice from an independent Barrister and had subsequently issued a notice to IX to either remove the mast (the mast at Links Road is being used here for the notice) or submit full planning application IX have until 4th April 24 to either comply or appeal.
Councillor Winkler suggested that a smaller sub group of residents meet to just discuss the IX masts, this was agreed and a meeting date would be arranged early in April.
Action: Councillor Winkler to arrange a meeting with a sub group of the residents.
Action: Chair to circulate the meeting date to other Ward Councillors to ask them to attend
Rose Avenue/Lancaster Terrace – Resident’s Parking/Access Issues
No further updates as yet.
Shepherd Mill – Planning Permission Granted
The Chair explained that the site still had design and landscaping issues that were outstanding as well as the finish of the buildings. The Chair agreed to raise the issue of the finish of the buildings with the planning department and suggest that stone would be a better finish to fit in with the rest of the village.
Church View / Kendal Avenue Path
A resident noted that the two ‘no cycling’ signs were broken and needed replacing for safety reasons.
Action: Resident to send pictures to Township Officer to report
Pot Holes – Edenfield Road
A resident reported that the road was still full of pot holes.
Action: Councillor Winkler to contact Highways to establish if they are on the list to be repaired.
Norden great British Spring Clean Update
Paul Ellison the local keep Britain Tidy Litter Heroes Ambassador updated the meeting on the spring clean that had recently taken part. Approximately 200 bags of rubbish and some larger items were collected by about 80 volunteers. Paul expressed his thanks to RBC for the collection of the rubbish and the use of the equipment. Paul also thanked Norden Co-op and the bowling club for sponsoring the clean- up.
Update on Nutters Site
The Managing Director of the Albert group that have purchased the former Nutters site attended the forum to give an update. He updated that originally planning permission had been granted but then the build scheme was scaled back as costs had dramatically gone up and this situation has left the scheme currently with no planning permission as yet. The MD explained that he wanted to engage with local residents to ensure that the site meets both planning and their expectations. Issues of potential noise, the building not fitting in with the village were discussed. The Chair suggested that it may be more productive to have a smaller number of residents to get together with the Managing Director to discuss the issues raised. This was agreed and a date will be arranged through the Chair
5. UPDATE ON PLACES FOR EVERYONE
The meeting was informed that Places for Everyone was to be considered at the Full Council meeting that week (Wednesday 20th March) The Chair stated that it was a public meeting and encouraged residents to attend if possible. The Chair also informed the meeting that the Bamford Green Belt Action group were going to attend and any support from the residents of Norden would be appreciated, as proposals contained in Places for Everyone will affect Norden residents
6. FUTURE OF AREA FORUMS
Councillor Winkler gave the update on the future of area forums and explained that a report had been taken to the Township Committees and that it had been agreed that forums would no longer take part in the way they had previously. The Chair then suggested that the Norden area forum to continue but be ran as a community forum with himself remaining as Chair, if agreed, which it was and that notes of the meetings would be taken by a volunteer rather than a RBC officer. The Chair also went on to state that issues/problems that needed reporting would still be reported in the same way through the Township and Engagement Officer. The police agreed that they would still attend the meeting in the new format. The suggestion by the Chair as to how the Forum would run in future was accepted by all attendees at the meeting. It was suggested that the next meeting would be 30th April at 7pm. At Norden Methodist Church
7. COUNCILLOR UPDATE
No update further to other matters discussed.
8. MEMBERS/WARD FUNDS
The meeting was informed that all funding had now been spent and that new funding would be available in July 2024.
9. Any Other Business
An attendee at the meeting asked if Norden ladies cricket club funding application had been received. It was confirmed that it had been received but will not be considered until the new funding becomes available in July 24.
A member of the public asked how Rochdale Borough Council monitored tension within the community.
Action: Township Officer (RBC) to supply this information
Rachel Hudson
The Chair and all in attendance at the meeting expressed their thanks and best wishes to Rachel as she moved to cover a new Township area as of April.
10. Date and time of the next meeting
The next meeting date is 30th April 24 but will not be attended by the Township Officer as stated above.