One of the largest public squares in England could be created in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, as part of a £500m town centre masterplan unveiled by the local authority.

Seven key themes have been outlined in Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council's (RMBC) masterplan, including the proposed Town Hall Square to provide a large, high-quality events space and a bespoke water feature. Plans also include the £259m mixed-use Town Centre East development to include retail and leisure facilities, the creation of a garden city to increase the number of green spaces and a learning and cultural quarter.

Local residents are expected to be given an opportunity to have their say on the draft masterplan as part of a consultation during October, before being developed into a Supplementary Planning Document in 2010. A wide range of stakeholders have helped RMBC to draw up the masterplan, including Rochdale Development Agency, the Environment Agency, Cyclist Association of GB and Rochdale Town Centre Management Company.