Council lands Churchill building

OLDHAM Council has bought the former Oldham Conservative Club for £150,000 after the historic building went under the hammer.

Contracts have been completed on the local authority’s auction acquisition of the Union Street property — where Sir Winston Churchill made a speech from the balcony in 1901.

The purchase, which was much lower than the £175,000 to £210,000 guide price, is seen as a regeneration prospect as Metrolink streams through the town in 2014.

The council revealed they have one eye on the future for the property, which has lain empty since Indian restaurant, Taj Mahal, closed in 2007.

Councillor Dave Hibbert said: “Regeneration activity is going to be the key to the future success of our town centre when the economic recovery does arrive and — if we’re not prepared for it — then we could miss another generation of opportunities.

“The property is close to the new Metrolink transport interchange and will also benefit from the remodelling of the highways — including the new link road between Union Street and Oldham Way. Ownership of this will enable Oldham Council to exert more effective control over potential developments in the area.”

The building, which will see immediate temporary repair works to prevent further deterioration, could still be sold once Metrolink rolls in. Or the council claim the site will be redeveloped as part of a larger regeneration scheme for the Mumps area.

Shadow cabinet member for regeneration, Councillor John McCann, said: “I think it is a good strategy. What we don’t want is these buildings going idle.”

Constructed in 1911, though a conservative club had stood on the site since 1874, falling membership forced the club to close in 1996.