Your Labour & Co-operative Councillors' Update: July 2026

Photo: Cllr Tom Besford

By Councillors Tom Besford and Richard Jackson, Labour and Co-operative Councillors for Littleborough Lakeside

Congratulations to Mayor Bev Craig

We are delighted that Bev Craig comfortably won the Greater Manchester Mayoral election and we look forward to working with her as she continues the great work Andy Burnham began. Bev visited Littleborough recently and went to Coffee on the Corner to hear directly from the owners about their recent break-in - exactly the kind of hands-on engagement we want from our mayor. Tom was even able to recreate a photo taken with Andy Burnham in the same spot two years previously. The more things change, the more they stay the same - and that is a good thing when it comes to Greater Manchester having strong, experienced leadership.

Out and About in Littleborough

It has been a brilliant month for community events. Richard volunteered at the inaugural Love Littleborough festival - a wonderful occasion and a huge congratulations to LEAF and all involved for making it happen. Both Tom and Richard also took part in the first Blackstone Edge Day of Dance at the Moorcock Inn, which was a fantastic celebration of our local folk tradition.

Our Smithy Bridge Library surgery in July coincided with a Cuppa with a Copper event, which gave us a great opportunity to sit down with local police officers and talk through community concerns - including the ongoing problems at the lake garage site.

The Lake Garage

Speaking of which, Tom has been working with our MP Paul Waugh on finally getting some traction on this long-running sore. We have now had a direct response from the owners, who say they still want to build a Spar on the site - despite the Council repeatedly refusing planning permission because their proposals would regularly block Smithy Bridge Road. We are not going to let this rest, and we will keep pushing for a resolution that works for the community.

At the Council

Tom chaired the Communities, Regeneration and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee this month, where among other items we discussed the new domestic abuse strategy and the draft Local Plan. On the Local Plan, Tom led the committee in pushing back on officer proposals to reduce the numbers of affordable and social homes required in future housing planning applications. Getting enough genuinely affordable homes built in our borough matters, and we will continue to make that case robustly.

Tom has also been re-appointed to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority Overview and Scrutiny Committee, where he will be representing Rochdale Borough in scrutinising the work of the Combined Authority - including transport, police, fire and economic development.

Richard attended the other two scrutiny committees - Health, Schools and Care and Corporate - where he pressed officers on the progress towards confirming the new secondary school for the area. Officers explained that the decision is now with the Department for Education and an announcement is expected imminently. It was also good to have confirmed that the work on the new dedicated Best Start Family Hub in Littleborough is on target, with it due to open later this year. The £2.9 million renovation project is transforming the former two-storey primary school nursery block into a permanent home for the Family Hub, which will be a fantastic resource for local families.

Casework

It has been a busy month on the ground. After months of pushing, we finally made progress at Stansfield Park, where the Council has accepted responsibility for grass cutting following the transfer of the land from RBH to the Council. It took persistence, but it is done.

We have been working with residents in Smithy Bridge on a deeply difficult environmental health issue linked to noise from a nearby care home. We are trying to find a compassionate solution that takes account of the needs of both residents and the care home, and we are committed to staying with this until it is resolved properly.

Richard and Tom were pleased to attend the Friends of Littleborough Stations meeting to support their campaign for accessible toilet facilities at the train station - something that should not be a luxury in 2026.

Despite Firgrove Playing Fields lying outside the ward boundary, Tom has worked with partners across the Pennines area and the Smallbridge, Hurstead and Belfield Pride in Place board to find funding to replace all the goalposts there. Many Littleborough football teams have been struggling with the old and broken equipment, and this will make a real difference to people playing the game they love.

As ever with the summer weather, irresponsible parking at the lake is causing problems. We are pressing the parking enforcement contractor to be significantly more active in dealing with this.

The United Reformed Church

A consultation on the future of the United Reformed Church is due to start soon. The Council has already secured an important victory by protecting this building from being sold off and converted into flats, preserving it as a place for worship and community activity. The Rochdale Development Agency is now consulting with voluntary partners and local businesses about the best future use for the building. We would love to see it become an arts centre or live music venue - something Littleborough currently lacks - which could attract more people into the town centre on evenings and weekends and give our night-time economy a real boost. Watch this space for developments.

The Wheatsheaf

Tom and Richard have been working with Moorend Trust to apply for the Wheatsheaf pub to be listed as an Asset of Community Value. If approved, this means the building cannot be sold without first giving the community the opportunity to buy it and keep it as a pub. We believe our local pubs are part of the fabric of Littleborough and we will do whatever we can to protect them.

And Finally

Tom was involved in the recruitment process for Rochdale Council's new Chief Executive, and we are pleased that interim CEO Julie Murphy has been appointed to the role permanently. This brings stability and continuity to the leadership of the Council at an important time.

As always, our surgeries continue on the first Saturday of the month at the United Reformed Church and the third Saturday at Smithy Bridge Library. Come and find us - no appointment needed.