Union St revival

Tomorrow’s world . . . how the new silver and yellow Metrolink trams will look on Union Street

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.”