VIDEO | Building a Better Oldham
The town and wider borough has emerged as one of Greater Manchester’s most attractive investment propositions after pump priming its regeneration pipeline, attendees at an event exploring investment opportunities in Oldham heard.
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Oldham is no longer Greater Manchester’s best-kept secret. That was the message from council’s Leader Cllr Arooj Shah, who kicked off the event with a rousing speech about what Oldham means to her.
“Oldham was a place that always felt like it was on its knees,” she said. “We were like that poor relative, the Cinderella of GM. And actually that wasn’t good enough for me.”
The event was held at the recently refurbished JR Clynes Building in the town centre and sponsored by Muse, Tilbury Douglas, and Willmott Dixon.
Panelists discussed Oldham’s recent regeneration journey. Credit: PNW
Alongside the Leader, the expert speakers were:
- Phil Mayall, managing director at Muse
- Martin Horne, regional director at Tilbury Douglas
- Anthony Dillon, managing director at Willmott Dixon
- Anthony Ashton, managing director at Rowan Ashworth
- Shelley Kipling, chief executive of Oldham Council
- Bethan McCaw, delivery director at the GMCA
- Emma Barton, deputy chief executive (place) at Oldham Council
Primed and ready
Over recent years, the council has secured and invested almost £300m to lay the social and physical infrastructure to give the private sector confidence to invest.
This drive and the opportunities it has presented has allowed companies like local civils firm Rowan Ashworth to expand significantly, while larger contractors Tilbury Douglas and Willmott Dixon have seen the number of projects up for grabs in the town jump.
Muse, one of the UK’s premier regeneration specialists, has been appointed to deliver around 2,000 homes in the town centre over the next decade, while GMCA has pledged to support the council by investing tens of millions in projects like SportsTown, one of several ambitious schemes the council is hoping to see come to fruition.
Given the wealth of investment opportunities and pipeline projects coming forward, Oldham’s door is open to private sector collaborators, the Leader said. But only those whose values align with the council’s will be given the time of day.
“We will not work with anyone who comes to Oldham and doesn’t show the place respect,” she said.
“What Oldham has is drive, and it has ambition. It has hope, but it has the commitment and the values to actually move things on for people, and that’s what we want to do.”
Oldham Council Leader Cllr Arooj Shah said the authority’s door is opened to like-minded partners. Credit: PNW
The pipeline
While proud of its recent regeneration efforts, including repurposing vacant retail space at Spindles shopping centre to breathe new life into the complex, Oldham is very much focused on the future.
Schemes such as the 160-acre Northern Roots eco park, the £70m SportsTown, Muse’s town centre living projects, and the redevelopment of several heritage buildings across the borough are just some of the exciting initiatives at various stages of the development journey.
Ambition abounds, but the council knows that its success will be measured by its ability to deliver.
“Here in Oldham, we get beyond the paperwork and we deliver,” said deputy chief executive (place) Emma Barton. “In 10 years time I want to see that more has been delivered. I want our communities and residents to be benefiting.”
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I wish everyone pushing this agenda the best because it’s clearly the right thing to do. However, Oldham’s housing delivery record has been and remains frustratingly ‘ordinary’ since 2020 and relying on just the Town Centre to meet the acute housing need across all types of housing seems somewhat of a risky strategy. I would also be interested to know what the strategy is for providing jobs / employment going forward as this is somewhat ‘invisible’ at present. Nevertheless, every journey has to start somewhere, so this has to be welcomed.
By Depressed Latic