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Union St revival
Date published: 30 October 2009
Vision for a bright future with arrival of Metrolink
NEGLECTED Union Street will be something Oldham can be proud of once Metrolink is here.
And the development could spark a thriving new shopping centre with high quality businesses.
The promise of a rosy future comes from Councillor Jackie Stanton, deputy leader of Oldham Council, who said: “Union Street is vital to our town centre, and it can’t and won’t be forgotten.”
Graham Birch, Oldham Council’s strategic planning and transportation manager, said the prospect of Metrolink had prompted an all-encompassing approach to regeneration planned for the end of the project, which had prevented any “significant” earlier schemes for Union Street.
Councillor Stanton backed a call to replace the high number of fast food takeaways — which had led to hair stylists Razz and Co quitting Union Street for Royton — with high quality shops and businesses.
“We cannot afford to lose businesses like Razz and Co from our town centre,” she said.
Heralding the advent of Metrolink along Union Street as the catalyst for transformation, the councillor agreed it was vital to support small businesses during the undoubted disruption of construction work.
“It’s going to be fantastic, but it is a big project to get there,” she said.
Councillor Stanton spoke out after business people told a Town Centre Partnership meeting that they had been left “hanging around for years” waiting for Metrolink.
Steve Howell, of Union Street’s EDN Insurance, said: “There are still a lot of Doubting Thomases and it still seems a long way ahead, especially for small businesses.”
UPDATE
Mr Birch said Metrolink would result in “a different feel” to both Union Street and Yorkshire Street, from Oldham Parish Church to Mumps, which would be busy with daily commuters.
He said the scheme was “moving quickly,” although no dates for work to commence had yet been set.
Design teams had been appointed to update the 10-year-old original plan, and Oldham planners on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for a tram stop in Union Street, with a decision on a second stop deferred to consider noise issues.
Mr Birch said he was very optimistic the Oldham town centre link would be top priority, adding: “At the end of the project, Union Street will be something to be proud of.”
Comments
just had a thought too. union st consists of old victorian terrace shops. mostly all with basements. with the extra vibrations that the trams cause. half of union st will actually end up falling down.
the majority of structures on existing town centre sections of the metrolink have heavy duty foundations or have had to have them reinforced?
what have ombc got in place for covering these extra costs?
who's paying for that?
Those fast-food takeaways should never have been given permission in the first place.
"All those commuters" Commuting from where? And won't these "commuters" be on the tram, not spending their time idling on Yorkshire Street?
Pipe dream at best.
Well after last nights report of 150 people having to stand together within a tin can for 45 minutes, I suggest the first facility they open is a St Johns ambulance station to treat the crush injuries and then the cases of swine flu. as has been suggested all it takes is one person to sneeze and all around them are covered in germs.
can you believe that its taken this long and for the metro to be finally coming for oldham council and its over paid councillors to notice that there is far to many fast food shops mainly keebab houses.
now councillors will you also draw your attention to the fact we have no cinema or social places for the people that pay your wages to relax!!! shambles
Once again the reprentatives of Oldham Council are making statements based on pure conjecture.
"Mr Birch said Metrolink would result in “a different feel” to both Union Street and Yorkshire Street, from Oldham Parish Church to Mumps, which would be busy with daily commuters. "
Commuters from where? Not many people live on those streets and there are certainly not masses of people employed in that area.
"And the development could spark a thriving new shopping centre with high quality businesses."
So, are we going to get high class take-aways, are will the current take-aways be forced to close to make way for these so-called "high quality businesses"?
Personally, I don't see how Oldham can be improved, but by getting a Marks & Spencer would help in giving the town a boost!
I heard this story years ago and will believe it when it happens. Hope it does. But I agree with some comments, Oldham is still miles ahead of some other local town centres and we do need a good mix of businesses in the centre. Unfortunately, takeaways and nightclubs will always be clubbed together as they go hand in hand esp in town centres.
Coun Starturn, said: “Union Street is vital to our town centre, and it can’t and won’t be forgotten.” Please explain why you now think this, having allowed the town centre to shrink to the size of a postage stamp, atop the hill? Please also explain why you & your cronies forgot Union St for the last twenty-five years, allowing it to become the street of a thousand kebab shops.
How are the council going to get rid of all the takeaways on Union St.? Are they really prepared to pay out massive compensation claims to the people who are trying to make an honest living on that street? I think they will find themselves in deep trouble if they think that that they can now undoe all the mistakes of the past.Nothing will change really its just jobs for the boys as usual.!!!!
Good quality retailers have been leaving Yorkshire Street and Union Street for several years leading to either derelict property or more fast food outlets. Our shop, Mountainfeet, has survived one crisis after another by hard work and reinvention but we are looking to relocate too.
Talk is cheap - it's action, loyalty and help us independents need or it'll be Tesco's or nothing!
Graham Birch, Oldham Council’s strategic planning and transportation manager, (did you know we had one?),said the scheme was “moving quickly,” but, NO DATES FOR WORK TO COMMENCE HAD YET BEEN SET. Design teams have been appointed (by whom & from where?): a decision on a second stop deferred How much are we paying him to come out with garbage like this? this is pure managerspeak. His quickly is a different animal to our quickly.
They won't need to pay out massive compensation claims. Once Union St is closed to allow the lines to be laid passing trade at the businesses will dry up and they'll go bust before OMBC has to pay up. It happened in Manchester in Shudehill.If they allow cars on afterwards it will only be on a drive through basis so they can kiss goodbye to that passing trade forever.
I wish I lived on the same planet as some of these people! If they think that a tram-line is the answer then La-La Land must be a wonderful place to live!
Can we expect CPO's then Councillor Stanton? Given that we have already been told there is no money availble to regenerate the Town Hall, where will the money come from to buy out these takeaways that blight the town centre?
they really are on another planet in oldham council. just look at high streets in manchester that are similar in layout to union street. i can list three.
High st, Mosley St and Aytoun St. all main routs in the city centre. all pratically dead of passing commutors. and hardly any actual businesses along these routes.
This is what union st will become. at least now its quite bustling! OMBC, the biggest bunch of fools other than the government!
Have Your Say
NEGLECTED Union Street???? its not that bad! compare union st with other towns high streets and you'll find union st is bustling really. there arent many properties unoccupied.
the town centre section in oldham is an idiotic idea. they think its going to revive oldham. its not.
the only ones neglecting oldham are the council for still thinking its going help the town? the fools!
By fedupoldhamer @ 30/10/2009 12:13:21