Oldham completes Prudential CPO
With the title in hand, the local authority can proceed with its £8.6m plans to restore the long-vacant, grade two-listed building and transform it into a business incubation hub.
Oldham Council had secured planning permission for the renovation of the Prudential Assurance Building in March 2023, but delays in securing ownership of the building had meant the project had not been able to get fully under way.
That has now changed, with a compulsory purchase order complete after two years.
Leader Cllr Arooj Shah said that repeated attempts to work with the former owner of the building off Union Street had not met with success, which had tied the hands of the authority as the structure fell into decay.
“Unfortunately while the Prudential was in private ownership, we couldn’t take action – as much as we wanted to,” she said.
“We’ve continued to monitor the building and required urgent repairs to be carried out where there has been a risk to public safety, particularly as it’s yards from a very busy tram route. Beyond that statutory duty, our hands have been tied.”
Shah continued: “The CPO process has taken over two years to complete and it’s been really frustrating that we couldn’t get on with things faster. It’s just one example of how national planning regulations impact local communities and why they need reviewing. I welcome the government’s commitment to planning reforms to reduce red tape and kickstart the economy.”
Buttress is the architect for Oldham Council’s plans for the Prudential Assurance Building. Credit: via planning documents.
The prolonged CPO process had led to Oldham Council diverting £1.4m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund from the Prudential revamp to work on Spindles, due to restrictions about when the money had to be spent.
The Prudential Assurance Building was constructed in 1889 and designed by acclaimed architect Alfred Waterhouse – who also was behind Manchester Town Hall and the Natural History Museum.
The council will bring it back to its old workplace use. Working with architect Buttress, principal designer Turner and Townsend, and Civic Engineers, the local authority will introduce 1,300 sq ft of coworking space to the building. Another 1,800 sq ft will be for meeting areas and 9,400 sq ft would be for offices. A café, kitchen, and tea points are also part of the plans.
You can see the plans for yourself by searching application reference number FUL/351029/23 on Oldham Council’s planning portal.
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Whilst this is undoubtedly a fine building and it is a great shame it has been allowed to deteriorate so badly, I am afraid that grandiose claims about it’s future use and economic contribution and success are just that – grandiose claims. Situated where it is and surrounded by what does surround it, there is little chance of that. As more and more town centre pubs become converted to HMO’s and more and more buildings become chicken and other food takeaways, it is less than a stone’s thrown from an increasing number of them. Another heavy burden on the council’s (and hence the peoples) day to day financial responsibilities is it’s destiny. In a week when the government and Eton College have seen the light, and Harry Catherall has apparently seen the light (which resulted in a heated council debate on the matter), why are Oldham councillors still blinded to the realities?
By A. R.
As a child I did not realise how grand Union Street was. There are some terrific buildings, this being one of them. It could be a very agreeable street if the gaps on it were landscaped and the decent architecture spruced up. Oldham is poor at realising its assets. They have allowed the beautiful bank at Mumps to deteriorate, the old baths on Union Street were bulldozed and replaced with that dump behind the parish church, St Peter’s church too, met a similar fate. Unlike other GM towns Oldham is on a hill, it is blessed with spectacular views of the Pennines from its town centre,with the Metrolink snaking through it, it should be thriving, and benefiting from Manchester’s boom. Unfortunately when Sean Fielding went, the vision went with him.
By Elephant
So the council are planning to spend £8.6 million, money that they do not have, on a single building which is surrounded by the biggest concentration of dross in the North Manchester area. They did not give that much for the whole of the Spindles centre when they recently bought it off a landowner and investor who had £40 million tied up in it, but who had seen the light and was desperate to get out of Oldham before his £40 million investment became worthless. What does this tell you about the mindset and abilities of the people and councillors at Oldham council?
By K. W.