The six key projects for Oldham town centre given the green light

The face of Oldham is set to change forever following the approval of six major developments. 

Drastic changes will be coming to Oldham’s Civic Tower; the Civic Centre and its brutalistic theatre; the Queen Elizabeth Hall; Manchester Chambers; the former leisure centre; the demolished Magistrates Courts; and the car park at Prince’s Gate.

All of the sites form part of six schemes involved in the  ‘Oldham Town Regeneration project’ – a 15-year partnership between Oldham Council and urban developers, Muse. 

The project aims to bring 2,000 new homes into the town alongside re-shaping the retail experience by bringing residents and shops closer together. Plans also include turning the council’s ‘iconic’ Civic tower – a 15-storey building presiding over the town’s skyline – into a hotel.

Muse say this is a ‘once in a generation opportunity’ to revitalise the town’s high streets and create new homes in the face of a nationwide housing crisis. It is hoped bringing more residents into the town centre can increase footfall and trade for the local shops and businesses.

This is a key turning point for Oldham, which is expected to look strikingly different once building work is completed.

A special meeting of Oldham Council’s planning committee was called to make decisions on the six individual projects last night (Wednesday). 

At the meeting in Oldham Civic Centre, Councillor Brian Hobin questioned whether history was repeating itself with more apartment blocks.

“We seem to have had these blocks done in the 60 and 70s. I’m just thinking in 30+ years time will we have some tower blocks that look just as bad? 

“It’s a shame we’re going down the tower block route again that happened a generation ago.”

Alex Vogel, senior development manager at Muse, explained that it’s about creating a wider community rather than just housing.

Mr Vogel told the committee: “We’re thinking ahead and how the apartments can work with the rest of the town centre and how it can feed through. It’s about how each application can complement one another.”

He went on to reassure councillors with concerns over the pressure all these new homes could have on health services, school places as well as GP and dentist spots.  

These developments will come following a string of previously approved projects to improve the town centre. This includes the council’s decision to purchase and renovate the Spindles Shopping Centre with a new market hall and council offices, a new linear park, and the Egyptian room food court.

Some of the applications are for ‘outline planning permission’, meaning a further, more detailed application will need to be made once developers are secured.

Here is a breakdown of each project discussed at the meeting…

Former Civic Centre and Queen Elizabeth Hall, West Street – APPROVED. Oldham’s iconic brutalist theatre, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, will be bulldozed alongside the former council offices. 

It has been destined for demolition ever since surveyors discovered RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete), a material prone to collapsing, in 2023. In its place, Muse intends to erect a six-storey U-shaped residential block with 93 apartments – 35 one-beds, 52 two-beds, and six three-beds.

The plans include four disabled car parking spaces and 93 cycle spaces.

The developers are also seeking outline permission for a further 745 apartments across five buildings ranging between 11 and 16 storeys. Some of these would also feature shops or communal areas in their ground floors. 

Although the plan means public car parking will be lost, the planning committee was told the council is committed to re-providing the spaces for cars in a different location. This point was made for all six projects discussed at the meeting.

Former Magistrates’ Court, King Street, Oldham – APPROVED
The Former Magistrates’ Court on King Street is set to be turned into 219 new homes under outline planning proposals.
It has been in use as a car park since it was demolished in 2019. The new apartments would be laid out across two eight and 11-storey blocks, with a central plaza in the middle to create community green space. 
Though the exact details would be determined by a further planning application, Muse envisions 94 one-bedroom, 108 two-bed, and 17 three-bed apartments.

Manchester Chambers – APPROVED
The ornate, three-storey brick Chambers is a recognisable landmark next to Oldham’s central bus station. 
A once beautiful mock Tudor building next door, once home to The Crowns inn and later the Oldham Foodbank, is now steadily disintegrating. In their shadow is a 90s-style shopping arcade stretched out towards the Spindles shopping centre.
This whole complex is due to be given a huge revamp under Muse’s plans. 
Though three of the arcade shopping units are currently occupied – most have sat vacant for some time and occupants have complained about the state of the building.

The designs propose demolishing the arcade and former inn, and renovating the Victorian frontage of the Chambers. In its stead, Muse intends to create 1,550 square metres of commercial and business space or an educational facility.
The new office and institutional space would be across two to four floors.

Former Leisure Centre – APPROVED
The former leisure centre off St Mary’s Way was reduced to rubble in 2016, with only the car park remaining on the vacant plot for almost a decade. 
Under the new plans, this site would also be transformed into more new homes. Up to 231 new apartments, alongside a shop of 70 square metres could be spread out across two elongated blocks. 
These would extend in parallel to one another, framing the north side of Oldham’s new linear park – a long strip of green space running the length of the town centre.
The northerly block would be nine-storeys and accommodate around 112 dwellings. The southerly block would contain 119. 
Both would be a mix of one, two, and three bed units. Some preliminary works have already started on the plot to make it ready for developers.

Land at Prince’s Gate, Oldham Mumps – APPROVED
One of the few applications for full planning permission, the land at Prince’s Gate near Mumps tram stop is due to be turned into more than 331 flats across three towers.
The 16, 12, and six storey high apartment blocks will contain 159 one-beds, 141 two-beds and 31 three-bed units. The red-brick structures, designed to blend in with nearby architecture, will also feature communal areas, co-working spaces and cycle storage.
Commercial units will also be integrated into the ground floors, which could become home to ‘retail, café, crèche, health service or educational use’.
The blocks are designed to be as ‘car free’ as possible, with only 18 accessible car parking spaces. Instead, residents would be expected to use the transport links on their door step or make use of a purpose-built taxi pick-up and drop-off point.
This ends a long-running saga at this location, after several previous plans to bring major retailers Lidl and M&S to the site fell through.

The Civic Centre Tower – APPROVED
Oldham’s ‘iconic’ Civic Tower, which is visible from as far as Manchester and Stockport, will be transformed into a hotel with approximately 126 bedrooms.
The 15-storey 70s tower and former Civic Centre, which is supposed to stand as a testament to the town’s history, is largely due to be demolished under the new plans.
Previously home to the council’s department offices, the ground floor would become a public reception area.
The brutalist-style block currently divides public opinion, with some describing it as an ‘eyesore that should be demolished’ while others call it an ‘important landmark and wayfinder’.