Rochdale has one of the most handsome town centres in Greater Manchester.
A Grade II listed Gothic town hall, fine cenotaph and well-tended gardens, an impressive new transport interchange and modern tram system and the award-winning council offices of No1 Riverside, officially the best workspace in the UK.
But walk just a short way from these magnificent public buildings, old and new, and you will find a high street that has been battered by recession and a lack of private investment.
Rochdale currently has a shop vacancy rate of 22.7 per cent compared to a national average of 13.5 per cent, but on the ground those bald figures feels much worse with empty shops creating an air of bleak desolation in some parts.
Don’t get me wrong: we have some thriving independent shops in Rochdale and exciting plans on the horizon for major development and new businesses coming in.
But as a council we were conscious that we wanted to do something now. It is no good having shiny new shopping centres if the heart of the high street has already been ripped out.
And we knew we had to be radical. Like every other local authority, particularly in the north, we have been hard hit by government funding cuts and we have to pick our spend carefully but we believe that investing in business, encouraging entrepreneurs to set up shop here would not only attract more footfall but in the longer term create jobs.
Cutting business rates is the most radical thing we could do. An 80 per cent discount in the first year with 50 per cent in the second year for new businesses that commit to giving it a go for three years.
It is going to cost us £100,000 because until the business rates are reviewed we still have to pay the government, but this tax is one of the single biggest obstacles facing new businesses and a key reason why many ultimately fail. Nationally over 31,000 independent shops failed in 2013 alone.
We cannot reverse the decline on our high street – which is mirrored in towns up and down the country – without dealing with this critical issue. Big reductions in business rates will hopefully see new shops open, help bring in more shoppers and breathe new life into the town centre.
We have 23 units eligible, right in the town centre, and, come the end of April I would love to see every single one of them occupied and trading. Twenty-three new businesses bringing in new people and adding to the experience of visiting Rochdale.
We are also talking to the owners of other empty shops and lettings agents to persuade them to reduce rents and encourage trade. We all have to work together.
These are tough times and we have faced some harsh budgetary decisions but investing in our town centre is a big priority for the council. We have also introduced free parking from 10am up until Christmas and, to tie in with the business rates reduction, in April shoppers can get three hours’ free parking after 10am.
A thriving high street is crucial to a thriving town and I am very proud that we have taken a very proactive stance to help Rochdale get its beating heart back.
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Richard Farnell is leader of Rochdale borough council. He tweets @RichardFarnell1
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