Estate will be a site to behold

Gallery highlights changes

THE past, present and future of Primrose Bank is being explored at Gallery Oldham.

An exhibition of photographs documenting changes in the area has opened in the community gallery.

The pictures are complemented by historical records which document the neighbourhood’s rich industrial heritage and proposals to transform the area into a modern place to live.

In 2009, photographer and former Primrose Bank resident, Peter Walker, was jointly commissioned by the council’s Gateways to Oldham team and Housing Market Renewal to create a record of the physical environment, history and community of the district.

Working with residents and community groups, Peter strived to record images which capture the social diversity and the physical transformation under way.

He said: “Living in Primrose Bank, I had been recording the changes before I began the commission.

“There are many images of how people have been affected by the changes.

“I was able to photograph my next-door neighbour’s house move and the boarding up of the property.

“The images tell a visual story of the changes as they took place. With a visual record, the images are of some interest now, but will be of much greater interest in the future.

“This is the value of documenting change rather than letting it pass by unnoticed.

“There is incredible diversity in the life of the neighbourhood.

“Taking the photographs, there are places you walk past every day and never notice, until you look and see what’s there.”

The council secured almost £130 million in Government funding from the Private Finance Initiative to construct new social homes on five sites across Oldham through the Gateways project.

The most prominent of these sites is the Primrose Bank estate in Ashton Road. Primrose Bank also forms part of the Werneth HMR Pathfinder area. Work on building 192 new homes on this site is expected to start later this year.

Peter added: “There is a good balance in the proposals for new housing. I like that it appreciates the green spaces and that existing trees are being preserved. It looks like it will be a very positive change for the area.”

Elaine McLean, Oldham Council’s executive director for economy, places and skills, said: “These images set in context the transformation that is planned for Primrose Bank and I am certain people will find this exhibition fascinating.”