Masterplan vision of the future for the pretty Greater Manchester town 'dripping with heritage'

There is no denying Littleborough is home to some of the most fascinating history and heritage in the region. Take Town House - the 18th century abode of visionary Rochdale MP Gordon Harvey - or Harehill Park, a Victorian idyll where visitors will find the grave of a pet monkey that belonged to the first owners of the house there.

And of course, there is Hollingworth Lake - hailed as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the entire borough, it was actually created in the 19th century as the main water source for the Rochdale Canal. But what of its future?

The picturesque town - sat beneath rolling hills and wild moorland at the edge of the Pennines - may seem remote but Manchester city centre is only a 15-minute train journey away. That rapid connection has seen its population begin to change - with young commuters making their way north, pulled in by an abundance of independent shops, bars and restaurants.READ MORE: Council shells out six-figure sum on historic church at centre of controversy and 'upsetting rumours'

So, it is perhaps no surprise council bosses have developed a station area ‘masterplan’ focused on regenerating the area around this key 'gateway'.

It sets out a vision for an 'uplifted village centre attractive to residents and businesses' with an improved station area that will 'support development sensitive to the existing historic fabric, building on Littleborough’s unique identity’.

Or, as Coun John Blundell, the council’s regeneration chief, puts it: “The place is dripping with heritage and the masterplan is really about developing these brownfield sites and drawing it out."

But the plan has not emerged without controversy, getting off to a rocky start after businesses in Victoria Street were stunned to see