Food hall plans for town hall formally submitted

Plans to transform Oldham’s historic Egyptian Rooms into a food hall have been formally submitted by the council.

The authority is applying to convert part of the Grade II listed Old Town Hall into a casual dining and drinking destination in the style of Altrincham Market and Mackie Mayor in Manchester.

It is seeking listed building consent for the works, which would see a coffee shop, pizzeria and a bar – centred around a communal dining area – installed in the town hall.

The former town hall building, built in phases from 1841 onwards, was designed to accommodate civic and administrative uses as well as police and courts functions. 

A major £37m redevelopment of the building was completed in 2016, with it becoming home to a seven-screen Odeon cinema, Nandos and Molino Lounge

The Egyptian Room, which is ornately decorated with floor to ceiling glazed tiles and double-height vaults, was once home to the Borough Treasurer’s Rates Hall but is currently lying empty. 

If the food hall plans go ahead, it will have space for 235 people inside and out, including a large, covered terrace on Parliament Square and the upstairs mezzanine area.

There is also the opportunity to ‘extend the market offer’ into the square, which could be through ‘appropriate’ mobile food vendors, such as vintage classic vehicles. 

The design and access report by architects BDP on behalf of the council states that the bar and food stalls would be free standing steel units, which could be installed without needing to attach the tiled walls. 

A custom made toilet block would also be added to the room in the same way. 

“The Egyptian Room and upper floors of Firth House are currently vacant which makes them vulnerable to decay through neglect,” the report states.

“It is viewed that by fitting it out as an independent food market, the space will be brought into a sustainable, viable use.

“The scale of the proposals together with the careful selection of materials and design are appropriate to the historic context.

“The benefits brought by retaining the Egyptian Room in public use is considered to outweigh a resultant impact of less than substantial harm.”

The plans have been backed by Greater Manchester’s night time economy advisor Sacha Lord.

The council is in discussions with potential operators to take over the space if planning permission is granted.

Bosses have also submitted a bid to the Government’s Future High Street Fund to support the costs of the redevelopment project.

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