Row over Kingsway Business Park as hotel chain pulls out

With the news that the De Vere Village Hotel planned for Kingsway Business Park has now fallen through, Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, has raised concerns that the promotion and management of the Park is "looking unprofessional" and could "stall the social and economic regeneration of Rochdale".

Mr Danczuk said: “I wholly support the Park but have major concerns about how it is being promoted and managed. I raised concerns with John Hudson, the Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency, and Andy Zuntz, the Council’s Executive Director, some weeks ago. At the time I kept those concerns private but I now feel it’s time to highlight the problems that are occurring.

“We have just learnt that the De Vere Village Hotel planned for the Park has now fallen through. I learnt some months ago that Zen Internet had initially identified a plot on the Park but were messed about and have since located at Sandbrook Park. The RDA has continually refused to allow Carcraft to locate on the Park, which again I think is a mistake and something I raised with the RDA Chief Executive."

“The jobs our town needs are reliant upon the Park being a success and that success is dependent upon the RDA successfully promoting the Park and getting businesses to locate there,” he emphasised. “The De Vere’s, Zen and Carcraft examples suggest something is going wrong with the Park’s development.”

Mr Danczuk added that Kingsway has had nearly £5 million during 2006-07 and over £1.5 million in 2007-08 of public money from the North West Regional Development Agency.

Phil Ewbank, RDA Chairman, responded: “There is an unfortunate pattern developing of Mr Danczuk making ill-informed and personalised criticisms in the media of the work of the Rochdale Development Agency and Rochdale Council. Last week it was the plans to redevelop Rochdale Town Centre and this week it is Kingsway Business Park. Projects which are critical to Rochdale’s future.

“As a newcomer to the Rochdale area Mr Danczuk is perhaps not aware of the huge efforts of many people to make the idea of Kingsway Business Park a reality. This includes Council leaders from all three political parties and notably some of the people he is so ready to criticise.

“Kingsway is being jointly developed by Wilson Bowden and the North West Development Agency, with Rochdale Council and the RDA playing a supporting role as members of the Kingsway Partnership.

“Rather than criticise we should be supporting Wilson Bowden Developments in their determined efforts to bring Kingsway to the stage where we can offer a wide range of high quality sites to new and existing companies. Kingsway is a huge asset for the borough both now and into the future and will create thousands of jobs.

“The world-wide economic slowdown will obviously pose some short-term challenges to Kingsway and other UK developments and companies like Village Hotels will consider their investment plans until confidence returns. However, we are positive that new companies and jobs will continue to be attracted to Kingsway.

“It is easy to criticise from the sidelines, but RDA will continue to work hard to ensure that Kingsway is the success that Rochdale borough needs it to be.”

Mr Danczuk also took aim at the Lib Dems, who are the controlling party on Rochdale Council: “My experience tells me the Park’s promotion is faltering and it is now time for elected Councillors on Rochdale Council to take some strong action to rectify the problem. If the Park is still half empty in 12 months time, blame will rest with those controlling the Council now,” he said.

Council Leader Alan Taylor responded: "This is yet another deliberate attempt to scupper our regeneration plans. When will these unelected, self-interested people start putting Rochdale first and stop letting politics get in the way of our town's future? I want to progress with regeneration of the borough but all this hot air and political point-scoring doesn't help us to get on with that.

"We are happy to be challenged and to answer questions to ensure that the whole process is as open and transparent as possible, but wholesale criticisms are not welcome if we're to get on with the job of making Rochdale a town to be proud of. If the Labour Candidate continues then I would politely request that he returns back to Blackburn. His constant negativity is having a detrimental impact on our town."

Date article online: 08/05/2008