Historic Rochdale Train Station Set for Major Green Makeover as Part of Town-Wide Regeneration

Rochdale – Rochdale’s 196-year-old train station is poised for a significant transformation, with ambitious plans revealed to create a modern entrance as a cornerstone of a wider multi-million-pound regeneration of the area.

The Rochdale Development Agency (RDA) has put forward proposals to overhaul the station's entrance, creating a more welcoming and environmentally friendly gateway into the town centre for the thousands of commuters and visitors who use it daily.

The centrepiece of the plan is a new 25-metre-long canopy featuring a 'green roof' covered in vegetation, designed to boost local biodiversity. The revamped entrance will also include modern seating, and improved bike rack facilities to encourage sustainable travel. The proposals have also been designed to support a future project to improve the station’s underpass.

This station makeover is a key component of a massive scheme aimed at revitalising the entire station gateway area. The broader regeneration includes the creation of a new public square, the construction of new homes on the former central retail park site, and the development of apartments on the corner of Station Road and Maclure Road.

Councillor Daniel Meredith, cabinet member for housing and regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council, hailed the plans as a vital step forward for the town.

“These proposals will create a real sense of arrival for the many thousands of visitors who travel through this station each and every year”, said Councillor Meredith. “It’s a major gateway in and out of the borough and these plans will ensure that its appearance reflects that, as well as introducing green features which will boost biodiversity.”

He added, “Even more importantly, these improvements are part of a much bigger plan to substantially improve this whole area with new, high-quality homes, including social homes, on brownfield sites and a new public square as part of our wider rail strategy to create new homes and commercial and leisure spaces around our key transport hubs”.

While progress on the area's redevelopment has faced hurdles, including the council missing out on a £20 million bid for the government's Levelling Up fund, the project took a significant step forward when the local authority secured planning permission for the overarching station gateway scheme in July 2023.

The initiative is central to the borough’s wider rail strategy, which seeks to leverage Rochdale's key transport hubs by developing surrounding brownfield land for new homes, businesses, and improved public realm and transport connections.