Oldham to pump another £7m into Coliseum revamp

Grant funding from the government’s Regeneration Fund is required to cover the project’s rising costs after structural flaws and asbestos were discovered during detailed surveys of the 140-year-old theatre.

Oldham Council has confirmed the cost of revamping Oldham Coliseum on Fairbottom Street has risen by £7m from £10m to £17m and that the much-loved grassroots venue will not reopen until 2027. It had originally been hoped it would return for 2025’s pantomime season.

The revised timeline will “ensure the Coliseum reopens as a safe, accessible and future-ready cultural landmark for Oldham”, the council said.

The theatre was at risk of closure after Arts Council withdrew funding but was saved in 2024 after a campaign.

Main contractor Tilbury Douglas has completed a significant amount of the overhaul, including a new roof and reconfigured backstage area, as well as making some unexpected discoveries such as a basement.

Tilbury Douglas North West regional director Kabir Salihi said discovering unknowns is always a possibility with historic buildings.

“Refurbishing a building of this heritage, age and construction inherently carries a risk of the unknown, and many issues only become clear once the fabric and structure is carefully opened up,” he said.

“The opening-up works have uncovered multiple structural, building services and fire protection-related issues that have produced a delay to the overall building programme due to redesign and programme resequencing being required as a result of those issues uncovered.”

Salihi added: “The resulting resequenced programme allows us to complete this work safely and properly. Good progress has already been made, and Tilbury Douglas remains committed to delivering a high-quality venue that respects the Coliseum’s heritage and serves Oldham for generations to come.”

An Oldham Council spokesperson said: “Work is continuing to make good progress on the refurbishment of Oldham Coliseum Theatre. As these works have progressed, we have been able to do more detailed surveys on each part of the building. We have then discovered that more work is needed on areas like the staircase, where old buildings such as these can have issues with asbestos.

“The Coliseum is a historic venue, so making it fit to be the proper home of theatre in Oldham means we need more time to bring it back to life. We now anticipate a re-opening in 2027.”

The spokesperson added: “Our focus remains on making sure the theatre reopens as a high-quality venue that will serve Oldham for generations to come. In the meantime, the Coliseum continues to produce fantastic work across the borough, presenting shows in venues including Whittles and George Street Chapel.”