Rebuilding of Buckley Street

AMANDA HARRISON: happy to have moved into the street

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BUILDING work continues at the site of the Shaw gas explosion.

Numbers 19 and 21 Buckley Street have undergone major renovation and are near completion.

No 13 Chancery Lane and 15 and 17 Buckley Street needed to be demolished and are currently in the process of being rebuilt.

Shortly after the explosion, numbers 1-13 Buckley Street were demolished as they were dangerous, unsafe, or beyond reasonable repair.

Some of the homeowners have settled with their insurers and now established permanent homes elsewhere while others, who were initially re-housed out of the immediate area of the blast vicinity are looking to move back into Shaw.

Oldham Council says it is cleaning the streets on a weekly basis as well as investigating illegal tipping.



BUCKLEY Street’s newest tenant says people shouldn’t let the gas blast put them off living in the area.

Single mum Amanda Harrison moved to the street from her Derker flat.

“I wanted to move as the house was nearer to my work.

“The house is affordable and it’s beautiful inside. It’s been freshly plastered and decorated. It’s so much nicer than where I was.

“I know what happened on this street and I know a lot of people were affected but it shouldn’t put them off moving back here or new people moving in.”

Amanda’s landlord has provided an electricity-only power supply.



IT IS envisaged that Oldham Distress Fund will operate for a further financial year.

Requests are still being received and building work is still being undertaken on properties in the disaster area.

A total of around £300,000 has been donated to the fund, set up by Oldham Council.

About £243,000 of this has been committed to affected residents. Payments made to date are £219,000 with £24,000 agreed in principle but awaiting payment.

So far the fund has successfully helped 91 households to cope with the impact of the explosion, with administration costs borne by the council.

Applications to the Distress Fund continue to be approved by trustees to ensure repairs can be made.

The support has been very wide-ranging in some cases, including paying for significant amounts of household goods to replace items lost, to just one single payment in some cases.

The fund is currently providing assistance to those who are still looking to move back closer to Shaw — including the transfer of bonds paid for by the Fund.

Residents can still access help by applying on 0161 770 7770 or downloading: Shaw Disaster Relief Fund - Application Form from Oldham Council’s website.