Steve Coogan, Andy Burnham, Rose Marley and Courteeners frontman Liam Fray rally behind Greater Manchester town's co-operative vision for regeneration

Star names including actor and comedian Steve Coogan joined residents for the spectacular launch of Middleton’s co-operative vision for major regeneration on Wednesday (19 November).

The event at the Old School Rooms in Middleton, organised by Middleton Co-operating, marked the start of a major local engagement process. Performers, residents, community leaders and supporters including Courteeners frontman Liam Fray, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, CEO of Co-operatives UK, Rose Marley and Elsie Blundell MP helped kick off the work that will shape what a proposed Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) in the town could look like.

Steve Coogan, who hails from Middleton, is Co-Chair of Middleton MDC. He said: “People need to know this is their project. If the people of Middleton feel like they have a stake and a say, it will provide real impetus for change."

The MDC will be run on co-operative principles with a board made up of residents, businesses and public leaders. Decisions will be made collectively, with the community, the council and partners working side by side.

Fellow Co-Chair and CEO of trade body Co-operatives UK, Rose Marley, said: “This is a chance to do regeneration differently. We want an approach where local people have influence at every stage and where decisions reflect the values of the community. 

“For us, that means using co-operative principles, so people feel genuinely involved in shaping the town’s future. Middleton deserves investment that works for its residents, not around them.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, was speaking at the event a day before unveiling a £1 billion plan for Greater Manchester with ‘good growth’ the focus. He said: “We want to pioneer a new model of economic growth. There was an approach in the past in which low wage, low skill jobs were the only things considered good enough for places like Middleton. Devolution has been a game changer. It has to be a place-based approach. We are backing all of our places and Middleton is to the fore.”

Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, Neil Emmott hailed Wednesday’s event a huge success. He said: “There was so much energy in the room you could feel the desire to bring this project to life and, most importantly, ensure it is really led by the people of Middleton."

Middleton Co-operating, a partnership led by local people and organisations and member of Co-operatives UK, is spearheading the town-wide ‘conversation’ that will feed directly into the formation of the proposed Middleton MDC. Residents, businesses and anyone connected to the town are being urged to take part in a short survey at www.middleton.coop/mdc, sharing their views on what Middleton needs.

Mayoral Development Corporations are special purpose bodies used to unlock investment, accelerate development and attract new opportunities. Stockport was the first MDC in the UK to focus on a town centre location and has already demonstrated the value of partnership-led regeneration. Middleton will be the first MDC shaped from the outset by co-operative principles and its own community.