Date set for first part of Muse development

A date has been set for the first part of a ‘transformational’ project to get underway in Oldham town centre.

Plans by developers Muse to build more than 1,600 apartments across six well-known sites were approved at a planning meeting on Wednesday, (July 2). 

The proposals will drastically change Oldham’s Civic Tower; the Civic Centre and its brutalist theatre; the Queen Elizabeth Hall; Manchester Chambers; the former leisure centre; the demolished Magistrates Courts; and the car park at Prince’s Gate.

Most will be turned into apartment blocks, with shops and community space on the ground floor, similar to the Northern Quarter in Manchester. 

Developers have now revealed that the first construction works are expected to begin in autumn this year, with the first site chosen as Prince’s Gate. The building will start after some preliminary works and site investigations, which are due to begin ‘imminently’. 

When they start, the works will conclude a decade-long saga afflicting the Prince’s Gate site. The townhall-owned land was due to be turned into an M&S warehouse almost ten years ago, before the grocery chain pulled out in 2016. 

Pictured above: Princes Gate CGI Oldham Muse project block one at Oldham Mumps. 

Then Lidl put forward plans to turn the site into a store and build a hotel for a national chain – but after four years of negotiations, this deal also fell through in 2023. 

The area’s fraught history is cited by many residents as an example that development projects ‘never follow through’ in Oldham. This is part of the reason it will be one of the first sites to be developed under the new plans, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands. 

Speaking of the planning approval granted at the meeting this week, townhall boss councillor Arooj Shah said: “I am thrilled that we can continue moving forward with our plans – delivering high-quality homes, including the provision of social and affordable homes to meet local needs. We will also support local businesses and create opportunities for everyone, as part of a clean, green and sustainable future.

“Together, we are creating a place that we can all be proud of.”

And Alex Vogel, Senior Development Manager at Muse added: “On behalf of the whole project team, we are delighted that Oldham Council’s Planning Committee have granted approval to these six planning applications.

“The final plans were shaped and refined over a number of months, listening to community and stakeholder feedback to help create a place for people to live, work and play. We are excited to be able to continue pushing forward with the delivery of our plans and to start building much-needed new homes in the town centre for the people of Oldham”.

The six projects are part of a 15-year partnership between Oldham Council and Muse – who helped redesign Mackie Mayors, the Stockport Exchange and Manchester’s Smithfield.