Rochdale, April 2, 2026, 17:10 BST
Rachel Laver has taken the reins as managing director at Rochdale Development Agency, the group announced Thursday. The move comes as Greater Manchester Police hit the town centre with a 48-hour dispersal order following reports of anti-social behaviour and criminal damage. 1
The overlap is significant: Rochdale is trying to shift from pitching ideas to actually executing its manufacturing-driven growth agenda. Last month, Atom Valley announced the first major project in its cluster—the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Centre, or SMMC—will get up to 15 million pounds from Greater Manchester’s Good Growth Fund, which is a regional investment pool. Police, meanwhile, said they needed additional powers heading into the bank holiday weekend. 2
Laver joins from Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, where she previously ran the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership—a regional business-development group—and also worked at Cheshire and Warrington LEP. Place North West said she steps into the role left vacant by Levi Rickell last year at the agency. Rochdale Council created the agency back in 1993 to bring in investment. Laver will now be responsible for major projects, including Atom Valley, a 17 million sq ft site dedicated to advanced manufacturing. 1
Paul Ormerod, who chairs the agency, said her experience would shape “the next chapter of Rochdale’s growth”. Laver described the borough as ready for “high value jobs, investment and sustainable growth” as it teams up with partners throughout Greater Manchester. 3
The Section 34 dispersal order kicked in at 11:30 a.m. Thursday and will stay in force until the same time Saturday, police said. Officers can use the measure to tell anyone in a designated area to leave for up to 48 hours. GMP put the order in place after groups of young people reportedly harassed staff and damaged property on Wednesday. Inspector Meena Yasin said patrols aim to “protect people and businesses” heading into the weekend. 4
The industrial brief spans a wide area. According to an official Atom Valley update, the cluster stretching over Rochdale, Bury, and Oldham—one of six growth zones in Greater Manchester—has potential for up to 20,000 highly skilled jobs. The SMMC at Kingsway Business Park is expected to be finished by summer 2026. Daniel Meredith, who handles Rochdale’s regeneration portfolio and sits on the RDA board, described the center as a “major step forward” for the broader strategy. 5
Challenges persist. SMMC’s funding is pledged but not yet in hand, and Thursday’s police operation underscored the borough’s short-term town-centre strains even as it pitches its long-range investment narrative. 2
Rochdale’s industrial push got a boost from recent funding news, yet Thursday’s police action underscored ongoing concerns in the town centre. Now, with both fronts in play, Laver steps in to handle the balance. 2
