Canalside apartments selling fast (20/03/06)

The sales office form Byrant Home opened this weekend with the release of 26 2 bedroom apartments. By Sunday 15 had already been sold so prospective purchasers are being urged to take advantage of the first round of apartments being released. The affordable housing element will be released in the coming months.

Tesco begin on site (20/03/06)

Temporary builders fencing has been erected around the district centre site which will be home to Tesco, whilst building work is carried out.

Planning permission is still awaited for the detailed plans but developers can make a start clearing the site because of it's outline planning permission.

Failsworth Pole makeover moves on well (20/03/06)

Work to renovate Failsworth Pole and create a town square are moving on well and to schedule with most of the hard landscaping complete. The scheme is part of the regeneration plans for Failsworth which seen the Housing Market Renewal programme and European funding allocate over £400,000 to the Pole. The Ben Brierley statue will be placed nearer to the opening, which is expected mid May. The CCTV cameras planned for the Oldham Road corridor will be fitted towards the end of April to protect the investment and to reclaim the main road for the law abiding people of Failsworth.

Are you claiming all you entitled to? (17/03/06)

The government is urging older people to find out if they are entitled to claim either the Pension Credit or Winter Fuel allowance. If you are entitled to it, you should be claiming it, simply follow the links below;

Roman Road Potholes (17/03/06)

I reported the potholes on Roman Road near to its junction with Ashton Road East on the 5th Feb, I sent a strongly worded reminder on Monday and they have now been filled in.

You may know from last months news that Roman Road will be completely resurfaced and have the pavements replaced between April 2006 and March 2007 all being well.

Westminster Gardens Update (17/03/06)

We met with the contractor this week to discuss a start date for the Westminster Gardens project. Work is expected to start on the 10th April and last for around 6 weeks. The gardens will be opened mid may with a tree planting project with the kids from nearby Higher Failsworth Primary School.

News from the last Area Committee (17/03/06)

A quick update from the last Area Committee:

> The alley gating programme is moving on well with the following schemes in the

current round; Ashton Road East/Burnley Street, Ashton Road West/Lord Lane, Cooke Street, Mersey Road North/Recreation Road, Roman Road, and Clifton Street.

> The CCTV for Oldham Road has gone through the council system and the order has now been placed. They expect installation towards the end of April 2006.

> Residents in Woodhouses were told to be on their guard after a spate of burglaries with thieves specialising in Plasma TV's. A mobile police station will be used to inform residents on how to secure themselves against this crime.

> In general crime is going down but we were told not to let our guard down. If you would like more information on Smart watering your property contact Failsworth Police Station.

District Centre Housing Plans released (12/03/06)

Plans for the new housing development on the banks of the Rochdale Canal have been released by developer Bryant Homes. All current images and a PDF of the sales brochure are available here in the Plans Archive for your convenience. For those interested in the affordable housing element - whereby if you fit a certain criteria you may get a discount - are shown on the map in the archive. For more information please go to the Plans Archive or visit Bryant Homes directly.

Plans online for your convenience (05/03/06)

Plans for all the current projects in Failsworth, including the district centre are being put on the website for your convenience. I hope you find these useful.

Simply click on Plans Archive from the menu on the left hand side.

New Restaurant creates mixed reactions (05/03/06)

Above: Contrast the high quality interior with the not so well presented exterior.

Bangla Villa, the new Bangladeshi restaurant has got off to a mixed start with rave reviews about it's food and service - but not so favourable comments about the external renovations. The building, which sits in the Failsworth Pole Conservation Area, has seen many alterations over the last 20 years, the most recent being the large bay windows which were added when it was used as a kitchen showroom for many years. Since work began on upgrading the area residents have taken exception to the mass of steel roller shutters on the lower level and a make shift disabled ramp which pays no complement to its position in a much loved conservation area. A local residents wrote "The main problem is that during the day, when the restaurant and takeaway next door are closed, the area looks like a ghost town. Local Businesses need to start respecting Failsworth, not pulling down the shutters at night and forgetting about the impact the building has on peoples perceptions of the town". What do you think? Have your say in the Failsworth Forum _________________________________________ In the interest of balance I would be keen to point out that Bangla Villa are not the only ones who have fitted external shutters, so I have taken a photo of the whole block.

Have you discovered the wonders of Daisy Nook? (04/03/06)

I took my son and partner out to Daisy Nook today (sat) sledging and it is one of the few places in Failsworth where you get a different experience every season.

We finished the morning off in the visitors centre with a bacon butty and a cup of tea, where I noted there are lots of activities for families and young children.

There is a lot of work needed in the Country Park to make it 100%, but it really is a great facility.

Make the most of what's on our doorstep!

http://www.visitoldham.co.uk/events/countryside.htm

Plans for Woodhouses Park ready (04/03/06)

Residents in Woodhouses have been working with council officers to create plans to upgrade Woodhouses Park, off Stamford Drive in the Village.

The park was awarded £30,000 when Judith Heyes, former Councillor and local residents made the successful Lottery bid.

I am going to scan the plan in and create a new section on the website showing all the current plans across Failsworth.