New leisure development ‘nightmare’ wrangle

Reporter: Gillian Potts
Date published: 03 October 2014


A BUSINESSMAN claims the new Royton leisure centre development is having such an impact on his business he might have to quit town.

Pat McQuillan (68), who owns McQuillan Boiler Services in Cardigan Street, says a wrangle with Oldham Council and contractors Willmott Dixon is engulfing his business and taking a serious toll on his health.

Despite being on the doorstep of the £8 million centre, Mr McQuillan says he was never approached by the council during the planning process, nor told a vital right of way was being moved.

A string of incidents and confrontations has also caused misery to his 37-strong workforce.

Plans to shut Cardigan Street during construction of the leisure centre - due to be completed by next August, could be the final nail in the business’s coffin.

“We’re caught in the middle and I can’t run my business like this. All the other firms round here have been bought out by the council — it even built a brand new garage for one guy — so why has the council left me here?

In a statement from Oldham Council, Claire Nangle, head of strategic regeneration and development, insisted Mr McQuillan had been consulted.

“McQuillan Boilers were one of those we spoke to and we were told that they did not want to sell their land to the local authority. We designed a development that works round the McQuillan building.”

The council is talking to Mr McQuillan to resolve the deadlock.