Commentary
How Oldham is turning plans into places with momentum
Oldham has always been a place shaped by community, heritage and momentum, writes Emma Barton of Oldham Council. Since 2024, that momentum has been clear by the visible, on-the-ground delivery across the borough, where plans have become places and Oldham’s defining regeneration story is being told.
Building a better Oldham is no longer just a future-focussed programme, employment sites and restored heritage buildings are being reimagined and utilised across the borough, and are bringing a sense of purpose and renewed pride to residents across Oldham.
That momentum is evident first in the breadth of projects completed to date. At Hollinwood Junction, the delivery of a major employment site providing around 192,000 sq ft of commercial space is supporting over 700 jobs, strengthening Oldham’s role within the wider Greater Manchester economy. At Broadway Green, the completion of 500 new homes alongside 400,000 sq ft of employment space has demonstrated how housing and jobs can be delivered together, supporting sustainable growth and new communities.
Civic and heritage-led regeneration has been equally important. In Royton, the transformation of the Town Hall and Library has safeguarded a landmark building dating back to 1880, creating modern civic, learning and community space for the community. In the town centre, the reopening of the Egyptian Room has restored one of Oldham’s most distinctive cultural assets, bringing a grade two-listed interior back into active use and hosting numerous events and performances since reopening. Nearby, the JR Clynes Building, the former Old Library, has been carefully brought back into use, delivering 34,000 sq ft of refurbished floorspace for education, culture and enterprise. Behind the scenes, the completion of Alex Park Depot has created a modern operational base supporting 200 frontline staff and services across the borough.
Prince’s Gate is a gateway residential project to the east of the town. Credit: Oldham Council
Nowhere is Oldham’s momentum more visible than in its town centre. Rather than relying on a single intervention, change has been delivered in stages, with each project reinforcing the next. At Spindles, the introduction of 75,000 sq ft of quality office space, including The Hive, alongside a more compact retail offer, has helped reposition the centre as a place for work as well as shopping. This has been complemented by a series of public realm improvements including Parliament Square, Snipe Gardens, Hilton Street and Curzon Street, as well as the new town centre park and high street enhancements.
This evolution is continuing. The opening of the new market and event space, George Square’s outdoor market, Prince’s Gate and Tommyfield Park will build on what has already been delivered, supporting independent traders, cultural programming and community events, and attracting increased footfall to the town centre.
That confidence has been reinforced by an award-winning year. Oldham Council being named LGC Most Improved Council reflects the scale of change underway and the borough’s focus on delivery. Beyond the built environment, Oldham Athletic’s promotion provided a moment of shared pride, reminding everyone that confidence in place is about culture, identity and collective experience as much as bricks and mortar.
Looking ahead to 2026, Oldham’s momentum shows no sign of slowing down. Northern Roots will reach a major milestone with the opening of its Visitor Centre and Forestry Skills Centre, supporting hundreds of learners annually and creating new green jobs and skills pathways.
This transformative phase of Northern Roots has been enabled by £12.9m of funding secured through national government programmes including the Town Deal and Levelling Up Fund. Crucially, Northern Roots also sits within the wider context of Greater Manchester’s Good Growth Fund investment, with proposals in this regional programme committing support to deliver the UK’s biggest urban farm and eco-park in Oldham as part of a £31.5m package of growth activity focused on homes, jobs and town centre renewal.
As Oldham looks ahead, the direction is clear. Major projects are progressing; investment is continuously being secured and partnerships across the city region continue to be strengthened. From new employment opportunities and skills pathways to revitalised civic spaces and cultural assets, regeneration in Oldham is being felt across communities.
- Emma Barton is deputy chief executive of Oldham Council
- Read more about investment opportunities in Oldham
Sound all good but last Saturday I passed through Oldham by and it looked all in all run down what I saw. The worst was seeing a couple of majestic highly visible buildings along the tram route that were derelict and must have been for years. Including at the Mumps tram stop. That gives a bad impression of Oldham. Why are the not refurbished and reused? They would be such beautiful buildings and change the impression you get of Oldham in a positive way.
By Urs M.
Oldham Council’s regeneration efforts since 2024 are real and demonstrable, particularly in areas such as heritage refurbishment, strategic planning, and the redevelopment of key town centre assets. However, the council’s narrative significantly overstates the extent of what has been completed, glossing over delays, revised timescales, and the long term nature of many of its flagship projects.
A more balanced assessment recognises Oldham not as a borough that has already delivered sweeping transformation, but one that is undergoing an active, gradual, and uneven transition. The progress is meaningful, and the ambition is credible, yet the full impact of regeneration is far from realised.
At the same time, the failures at street level remain stark. There has been little evidence of a meaningful strategy, or the capacity, to address the everyday issues that shape civic pride: litter strewn streets, visible crime and drug activity, and a proliferation of identikit chicken shops, vape stores, sweet shops and Turkish barbers that often sit empty despite being immaculately fitted out. These persistent, day to day concerns undermine the broader regeneration message and weaken public confidence in the borough’s direction of travel.
Taken together, it offers a revealing backdrop to the forthcoming Council elections, a borough caught between ambitious long term plans and the unresolved realities that residents confront daily.
By Steve5839
It’s a shame this vision doesn’t extend to the Southlink site across the road from Princes Gate… A suburban housing estate within 400m of the Town Centre and Metrolink stop at Oldham Mumps is not what PfE envisioned.
For all the rhetoric around ‘Creating a Better Place’ we’re yet to see this backed up with a coherent approach to design quality and placemaking – especially compared to Stockport, Trafford with their Design Codes and SPD’s for key areas and Salford with their Design Review Forum. Rochdale for instance is doing great things with creative engagement with PLACED – an approach that pays dividends and projects progress with community buy-in.
By Anonymous
Any idea when the new market will be open? Delays have been communicated twice but no opening date 😥. Would be lovely to know, with certainty, when the new one is opening and the old one is closing. Would be great if the Council kept residents informed. Would also have been nice to have been informed properly of the reduction of parking spaces in the town centre; lovely to see an historic building being restored and back into use but why does it need dedicated parking spots that remain unused mist of the time when taxpayers could use them?
By Anonymous