Living and working in the borough of Rochdale
The borough of Rochdale has a rich history and is famously the birthplace of the Co-operative movement.
The borough has benefitted from unprecedented levels of investment in recent years, with money from the council, private sector and organisations like the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) helping us to deliver several major projects.
The borough is one of the best-connected places in the UK with close links to a number of motorway networks, mainline rail services and the Greater Manchester tram network, which takes commuters to within 50 meters of the council’s stunning main offices – Number One Riverside.
Hundreds of thousands of people visit the borough each year to take in our stunning scenery, incredible history, culture and heritage – and a series of exciting events that includes the Rochdale Feel Good music festival and the Street Eat food festival.
A new retail and leisure development, Rochdale Riverside, sits directly across from the council offices and includes Marks and Spencer, H&M, Next, and New Look stores as well as stylish cafes, eateries and a cinema.
The borough of Rochdale is formed of four distinct township areas: Rochdale, Heywood, Middleton, and the Pennines, which includes the villages of Littleborough, Milnrow, and Newhey.
Rich history and an exciting future – benefit of working in Rochdale borough
The borough has a population of more than 230,000 people living in an area covering 61 square miles that is made up of busy urban centres, quaint villages and stunning open landscapes.
Our population is becoming increasingly diverse with an estimated 74 per cent from white ethnic groups, 18 per cent Asian or Asian British and 4 per cent Black or Black British.
Rochdale was an important engine house of the industrial revolution and where the worldwide Co-operative movement began. This rich history of pioneering enterprise and hard work drives all our work today.
Ambitious plans for the future
Like other authorities and publicly funded organisations, we have had to deal with significant challenges and make substantial savings since 2010 but we pride ourselves on our careful and prudential use of resources and despite these pressures, we are making good progress on our programme of change and redefining the borough of Rochdale with ambitious people-centred regeneration.
Kingsway Business Park is one of the most active regeneration projects in the UK and major deals have resulted in millions of square feet of business property being taken up across the borough.
New major developments
Increasing numbers of businesses are choosing to locate in the borough. Huge numbers of stylish new homes have been built to accommodate the people who are moving here, with more under construction.
Our new Rochdale Riverside leisure and retail complex opened in 2020 with a 6-screen cinema, quality restaurants, and big-name stores like Marks & Spencer, H&M and Next.
It sits alongside a modern transport system and state-of-the-art offices.
World-class architecture
Rochdale’s magnificent and world-renowned Grade I-listed town hall is a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture.
As one of the finest buildings of its kind, Rochdale Town Hall, designed by William Henry Crossland, and its landscaped gardens, are a popular location for television filming, weddings, conferences, meetings, and corporate events.
Outside, a statue of Dame Gracie Fields, who was born in Rochdale and rose to become one of the world’s biggest stars of stage and screen, stands proud.