Investment schemes

Oldham – get more out of Greater Manchester

Located on Manchester’s doorstep but with nearly a quarter of the borough in the spectacular Peak District National Park, Oldham enjoys the best of both city and country life, making it a superb place to live and work.

Well connected

Oldham has excellent road links with direct access to the M60 and M62 meaning you won’t get stuck in the traffic jams that you would in the south of the region. Our excellent public transport and the recently extended Metrolink service also connects the borough with neighbouring parts of Greater Manchester and carries passengers from Oldham to Manchester and on to the national rail network, in under 30 minutes.

Stunning scenery

The district of Saddleworth is synonymous with stunning landscapes and is steeped in local tradition. Oldham offers prime walking, cycling and horse-riding territory and is home to attractions like Castleshaw’s historic Roman Fort and unrivalled beauty spots like Dove Stone reservoir.

Parks and outdoor attractions

Outdoor attractions include four countryside centres, three nature reserves and 28 parks, including the award-winning Alexandra Park. This beautiful, 78-acre green space boasts Grade II status from English Heritage and,along with Dunwood Park in Shaw, has received a prestigious Green Flag Award for international-standard facilities and excellent conservation and heritage work.

A centre of sporting success

Michael Atherton, Barrie McDermott and Nicola White – just some of the top sporting names to come from Oldham. The town has a rich sporting heritage and we’ve got a wealth of new modern leisure facilities, including a spectacular £15 million flagship leisure centre, for those with a keen interest in physical activity.

Expanding cultural offer

Oldham’s myriad of museums, galleries, music venues, theatres and libraries create a rich cultural scene. The Coliseum Theatre is well known for its fantastic productions and will soon be redeveloped as part of our Cultural Quarter which will include a new Heritage Centre. Gallery Oldham, meanwhile, has one of the largest exhibition programmes in the North West while our Old Town Hall ODEON multiplex cinema and restaurant complex is one of the most spectacular heritage building conversions in the country.

Investing in education

We have invested £137 million in three new build academies and existing school buildings. University Campus Oldham and the Regional Science Centre Oldham, the first facility of its type in the country, are other examples of our thriving education offer.

Homes for all

We’re supporting a wide range of housing in the borough through strong partnerships, to encourage a choice of homes that meet the needs and aspirations of our existing residents and will help attract new residents into the borough.

Investing in Oldham’s future

Metrolink

The arrival of Metrolink in January 2014 has been the catalyst for much investment in the town centre, making Oldham more accessible than ever. Manchester City Centre can be reached in under 30 minutes and Rochdale to the north in 20 minutes.    

Old Town Hall

The historic Old Town Hall has been sympathetically restored in a £36m investment into a seven screen, 789 seat ODEON cinema in a Grade-II listed landmark building.  A new public square – Parliament Square – adjacent to the venue is home to family friendly restaurants and hosts specialist markets, arts and cultural events.

Coliseum Theatre and Heritage Centre

A state-of-the-art development that will bring together theatre, arts, heritage and library services in the borough’s new Cultural Quarter.   

Leisure

Residents can enjoy fantastic new leisure facilities, thanks to two new leisure centres in Oldham and Royton including a 25-metre eight-lane swimming pool of county-level competition standard, sauna and steam room, eight-court sports hall, exercise studios and a four-rink indoor bowls hall. 

Independent Quarter

The council is investing £1 million in a comprehensive package of support to help new and existing independent businesses to set up and grow their businesses. To date, 30 new companies have moved in since its creation in 2014, leading to around 200 jobs.