Update on King Street building that collapsed

The owner of a former high street building that collapsed said he has done everything he can to make the area safe again. Part of King Street in Oldham is still closed despite those efforts.

In March this year, the building at 31 King Street building collapsed. An avalanche of bricks, roof tiles, and the entire contents of a rented out apartment came crashing onto the street and five people were injured.

The building has since been demolished but barriers remain up because of issues with the next-door property. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into what happened is still ongoing.

The building was owned by KKS Investors, made up of Coun Kamran Ghafoor and Sameer Zulqurnain. The councillor insisted the company had done nothing wrong prior to the building’s collapse

In a recent post, Oldham West, Chadderton, and Royton MP Jim McMahon criticised the fact the road remains closed, adding: “Everyone understands that public safety must come first, but four months on local people are rightly questioning what’s going on.

“Why is it taking so long? What is causing the delay? And when will King Street finally reopen?

“It is particularly concerning that work on the neighbouring building is appears to be holding up progress, without a clear indication of what is the cause of this.”

The MP said the closure was impacting businesses as well as commuters by making congestion worse, adding: “It’s time for clear answers, a clear plan, and urgent action to get King Street reopened.”

Coun Kamran Ghafoor said: “From the outset, we have fully complied with every request made by Oldham Council and all other relevant agencies. We have cooperated completely with the ongoing investigations and have done everything asked of us to help move matters forward.

“The current position is that we are waiting for the owner of 29 King Street to sign the necessary Party Wall Act documentation so that works can proceed to make their building safe and secure. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, this has not yet happened.

“We have also offered mediation and invited the owner of number 29 to sit down with us to discuss the issues and find a way forward, but unfortunately that offer has not been taken up.”

The LDRS has tried to contact the owner of 29 for comment with no response at the time of publication. Coun Ghafoor said: “For our part, we responded promptly to Jim McMahon’s correspondence and provided all the information we believed was necessary regarding the road closure.

“As things stand, the continued closure is not due to any lack of cooperation from our company. We have fulfilled our obligations and remain ready to do whatever is required to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.”

A council spokesperson said: “The council continues to put pressure and chase the owners of the buildings on King Street and their representatives. A key priority is resolving the insurance and liability issues that have delayed progress, and we are continuing to press the building owners to move matters forward as quickly as possible.

“The council’s focus remains on ensuring that the building is made safe and that the conditions are in place for King Street to reopen at the earliest opportunity. Where necessary, the council is using its powers to require action and will continue to consider all available options to protect public safety and minimise disruption to residents, businesses and visitors.”

The spokesperson added: “We recognise the frustration this situation is causing and understand the concerns raised by local businesses, residents and elected representatives. We remain committed to working with all relevant parties to bring the matter to a resolution and to facilitate the safe reopening of the road as soon as possible.

“We will continue to provide updates as further progress is made.”