‘Keep Failsworth money in town’ plea

Date published: 16 June 2009

Millions of pounds raised from developments in Failsworth must be ringfenced for the district centre, Oldham’s chief executive Charlie Parker has been told.

But the call from Oldham Council’s Labour leader Jim McMahon, was immediately turned down.

Councillor McMahon asked for around £4 million raised from the sale of town centre sites to be used for the benefit of Failsworth.

His letter came as the Chronicle learned that Burger King is in talks to open a drive-through restaurant in Failsworth.

And last month Oldham Property Partnership revealed plans for the regeneration of Failsworth Town Hall as the new home for the library and a lifelong learning centre.

The Failsworth East councillor said plans to build a new community centre were to be financed by £2.5 million from the sale of land to Tesco. There is also the value of the current community centre site, and the site of the Whitekirk Hall or the current library site, which he estimates at £1.5 million.

He added: “My belief is that any income raised from the sale of these sites should be ringfenced and used for the benefit of Failsworth.

“Using the town hall also frees up any other site on the centre which in itself would be used for another development.”

But Mr Parker said all council income must be pooled for use across the borough “to ensure it is used to meet priority needs and deployed in a way that is efficient and consistent with our corporate objectives.”

He said: “Ringfencing can distort the economic signals that guide our resource allocation. If the income reduces, it may also endanger the very projects it is designed to support. It would also increase the council’s administrative overheads at a time when we are striving to reduce those costs.”