Pooling resources into Oldham

DECAYING Oldham Sports Centre is facing the bulldozer if council plans go ahead.

A new town-centre facility would prove to be better value for money instead of refurbishing the current Lord Street facility, according to a council report.

Seven possible sites have been identified by council chiefs — three on private land and four under council ownership.

Local authority sites up for consideration include Tommyfield Market, the former Grange School, Bradshaw Street car park and Waterloo Street car park.

Privately-owned options haven’t yet been named as it would “not be in the council’s commercial interests,” according to a council report to be considered by Cabinet members on Monday.

The report added: “Work is ongoing to appraise all sites and finally select a preferred one which is deliverable, affordable, represents value for money, contributes towards the council’s strategic objectives for the town centre and supports town-centre projects.”

The replacement facility would have a 25-metre six-lane pool, a learner pool, a four-court sports hall, gym and dance space. Glodwick looks set to lose its leisure pool as part of the shake-up. Proposals also include the closure of the Grange artificial grass pitches at Coldhurst, which could be transferred to Oldham College. The Chapel Road synthetic pitches are looking to be transferred via “open processes of expressions of interest or submissions.”