Town centre set for huge makeover
AMBITIOUS plans to transform Oldham town centre have been unveiled, with hundreds of new homes, offices and jobs on the way.
Town hall chiefs want Oldham to become one of the region’s most popular places to visit.
The famous Tommyfield Market would be re-designed and rebuilt on its current site, with a new 600-space multi-storey car park opposite.
A new civic building would also be created on the Lord Street site of the former Oldham Sports Centre.
The masterplan has identified sites including civic centre, magistrates court and police station as ‘under-used or no longer fit for purpose.’
Tommyfield Market and the current Oldham Coliseum Theatre are also on that list.
The council said the civic centre, magistrates court and police station sites could be the location for a newlook Queen Elizabeth Hall alongside a hotel, offices and homes.
Civic leaders have encouraged the public to voice their opinions on the new ‘vision’ before it’s marketed out to potential developers.
Bosses said the plan could result in an estimated 560 jobs during construction and as many as 700 jobs in the town centre after completion.
The council said the plan aimed to ‘look ahead’ to 2035 and focus on key schemes across five strategic town centre sites totalling 21 acres.
New homes and 55,000 sq m of new and refurbished employment space could be worth an additional £50m per year to Oldham’s economy, town hall bosses say.
It’s also hoped to make Oldham ‘stand out as a destination’ within Greater Manchester.
New homes could also be built at the current Rock Street car park site and the surrounding area.
Council leader Jean Stretton hailed ‘one of the biggest and most ambitious town centre schemes in Greater Manchester.’
She added: “This is the biggest forward planning exercise we’ve ever had for Oldham town centre – it’s exciting and it’s about the kind of place we want it to be in the future. Many positive regeneration schemes are already improving our town centre – like the Old Town Hall, the Cultural Quarter with a new Coliseum Theatre, and the Independent Quarter – but we cannot make the mistake of standing still.”
The plans will go before the council’s ruling cabinet committee on July 10.