2. Construction Works
Northern Roots was started, and partly funded by, Oldham Council between 2016 and 2020. Most of the land that comprises the Northern Roots site, is owned by Oldham Council.
What works are being proposed at Northern Roots?
In line with the master plan, the first phase of development at Northern Roots will deliver a new Visitor Centre and a Forestry Skills Centre.
Set in woodland at the northern end of the site, the Visitor Centre will offer a café, shop, production kitchen, exhibition, performance, learning and meeting spaces. The Forestry Skills Centre has been designed to support vocational learning linked to a range of technical and land-based skills and qualifications.
Access to the Northern Roots site will be improved, including upgrading the existing car park.
Northern Roots is a long-term project, that will evolve over the next five to 10 years as funding permits. This development is the first phase of a wider plan, which includes the creation of a bike hub and trails, adventure play facilities, further learning and wellbeing facilities, up to 10 acres of market garden and a swimming pond.
Funding and partners
Funding has been secured by Oldham Council in partnership with Northern Roots, through external grants, which include the Levelling Up Fund (Round 2) and the Towns Fund. Willmott Dixon are the contractors, who will help to deliver the Visitor Centre and the Forestry Skills Centre.
Enabling works are due to start in February 2024. The main works are currently planned to start for summer 2024, with the first phase due to complete, by autumn 2025.
Brook Lane footpath
To keep members of the public safe during construction activity, it has been necessary to divert the footpath on Brook Lane.
Temporary signage will be erected as part of the diversion.
Parking
The existing car park will remain open, and available to visitors until the end of April 2024. Should the car park need to close during construction, then alternative parking will be made available to visitors via a temporary arrangement on Tip Road.
Football pitches
Pitches will remain open and bookable. Pitch bookings are currently managed by Oldham Council at: pitchbookings@oldham.gov.uk
Fencing
Fencing is required around the construction site, and the Phase 2 Urban Farm, as a security measure and to protect visitors to the wider site during the construction period.
Fencing is also necessary as a longer-term security measure, to protect the Visitor Centre, Forestry Skills Centre and Phase 2 Urban Farm from vandalism, theft and anti-social behaviour.
Phase 2 Urban Farm development
Northern Roots established a small Phase 1 Urban Farm area on the meadow adjacent to the car park in 2023.
Phase 2 will expand the Urban Farm by a further four acres on the field directly in front of the proposed Visitor Centre. The Phase 2 Urban Farm will become a showcase for different regenerative farming practices, including agro-forestry and alley cropping, fruit, vegetable and flower growing, hydroponics and aquaponics, livestock such as chickens and bees, sustainable drainage and water management and hedge laying techniques.
The Northern Roots charity is managing the expansion of the Phase 2 Urban Farm, including the fencing, that will be erected around the Phase 2 site.
Free community resource
There will be no charge for entry to the Northern Roots site, and it will remain a free and open community resource for all users – cyclists, walkers, mountain bikers etc.
The Northern Roots charity is still developing its future business model. Over time the charity and site need to become self-financing. It is therefore envisaged that there will be charges to access some of the facilities or activities provided on-site, for example, training courses, performances or holiday clubs.
The Northern Roots charity is developing plans for a subsidised model that will ensure inclusion and equality of access, especially for the communities living directly around the site.
Trees and vegetation
A series of enabling works have been proposed, commencing in February 2024. These works will comprise essential vegetation and tree clearance, to facilitate access and where buildings are proposed, and to complete survey work.
Ecologists have carried out extensive surveys on the site, proposed for the Visitor Centre and the Forestry Skills Centre.
Where it is necessary to remove trees, works are scheduled ahead of nesting season so as not to cause any disruption to nesting birds. Works will be carried out under the supervision of a licensed ecologist.
Wherever possible trees in the Visitor Centre woodland will be retained. Most trees in the Visitor Centre woodland are self-seeded and of poor quality.
No veteran trees have been identified by ecologists surveying the area.
Northern Roots has already started a programme of tree and hedge planting on site and will continue to work with partners, such as Life for a Life Memorial Forests, to plant more trees across the site.
Where trees are to be lost to development, Oldham Council will require their replacement.
Wherever possible Northern Roots recycles timber from the site, repurposing it into furniture or structures such as our woodworking workshop.
Planning consent
Planning consent FUL/348898/22 was given on 2 November 2022, as part of a hybrid planning application for the site, which covers the proposed enabling works.
A new application is proposed for the revised designs of the Forestry Skills Centre and Visitor Centre.
Contact
If you have a question specifically about the construction works programme at Northern Roots, that hasn’t been answered here, please get in touch with Oldham Council at:
You can get in touch with the Northern Roots team by emailing:
The team monitors the inbox regularly and will respond to you as promptly as they can.