Oldham starts hunt for JV partner for £285m regen

Having opted to self-deliver the revamp of Spindles shopping centre, the council has now begun the process of selecting a developer for its wider town centre regeneration strategy. 

Oldham’s town centre masterplan could see the creation of around 2,000 homes, a 5.7-acre town centre park, and a hotel over the next 15 to 20 years. 

Oldham Council is looking to form a joint venture with a private sector partner that “can provide the necessary expertise and equity funding to deliver the vision”, according to documents that form part of a preliminary market engagement exercise. 

The council has launched the exercise to gain a better understanding of how a partnership with a developer would function and to gauge private sector appetite for the project.

Oldham has identified five key sites across the town centre as redevelopment opportunities. 

• Oldham Civic Centre on Rochdale Road 
• The former Tommyfield Market 
• The former leisure centre site on Union Street 
• Former Magistrates Court & Manchester Chambers 

• A surface car park on Bradshaw Street 

The civic centre and Tommyfield Market sites have been freed up for development as part of the Spindles redevelopment, which will see the creation of a new market and the relocation of council staff into newly-created office space within the shopping centre. 

The leisure centre site has been vacant for several years after the facility was demolished following the creation of a modern complex on Manchester Street. The former Magistrates’ Court has been earmarked for a hotel development. 

Interested parties are asked to fill out a questionnaire about the opportunity before 25 April.