Now it’s time to turn town around

Oldham Council Cabinet
multi-million-pound operations to turn the town around were approved by Cabinet members last night.
The Labour-controlled authority revealed proposals aimed to revive the flagging housing market, create new facilities and boost morale and finances in the borough.

Town hall bosses approved:

::The first stage of a £90,000 feasibility review for a potential hotel and hospitality training facility in Oldham town centre.

::A commercial agreement to regenerate Royton centre.

::The disposal of the derelict North House site, in Coldhurst, to Great Places Housing Group — creating 28 new affordable family homes at the site.

::The establishment of a Local Authority Mortgage Scheme aimed at assisting 50 first-time buyers on the property ladder.

::A land-swap at the Hollinwood Park-and-Ride facility to pave the way for Metrolink.

Council leader Jim McMahon said: “We are not going to accept failure on any of this. It’s not about elections in May, because by and large people vote on national issues and this is about a passion for turning this town around.

“The public are frustrated at the lack of meaningful activity and we are not going to accept what the experts in Manchester are saying, that it is going to take 20 years to recover from the recession.

“We are going to try and go beyond that and buck the trend.”

Pioneering plans to bring a commercially-run academy for the hospitality trade and new-build hotel were revealed by the Chronicle last week.

The scheme could cost up to £40million with the council coughing up £90,000 for a feasibility study.

The academy is expected to produce 120 jobs and apprenticeships for almost 90 people.

The exact location has not yet been disclosed due to the “commercially sensitive” stage of the project.

In Royton, the local authority announced they will work hand-in-hand with Dransfield Properties over plans which could see the arrival of a major new food store and an overhaul of the existing precinct.

The council is also pushing for the redevelopment of Royton Assembly Hall, a package of measures to support existing traders and improve car parking.

Council chiefs supported the disposal of North House to Great Places together with a contribution from the Housing Revenue Account.

Coldhurst has one of the highest levels of overcrowding in Oldham and was included within Gateways to Oldham — a 25-year scheme for the refurbishment, demolition and new-build of around 650 homes throughout the borough.

Negotiations have been agreed by the local authority, Manchester Cabins and Transport for Greater Manchester for a Park-and-Ride facility in Hollinwood — with building work for the 107-parking space development to begin in April — enhancing the Metrolink system.

The approved Local Authority Mortgage Scheme will help first-time buyers get on the property ladder.

Further schemes will be coming to Oldham in the future but Councillor McMahon said he would not reveal the plans until signatures are on the dotted line.