Greening Oldham

Making Oldham town centre greener and more resilient to climate change

Thanks to funding from the UK Government’s High Street Accelerator, Oldham Council and Groundwork have been working to transform Union Street and Yorkshire Street in the town centre into greener, more climate-resilient spaces.

Alongside these improvements, a programme of public events and activities has been delivered to showcase the benefits of nature in urban areas.

Eco streets

Eco Streets are the future of urban greening. They put nature-based solutions at the heart of street design, helping to:

  • Reduce flood risk
  • Keep spaces cool in summer
  • Support local wildlife
  • Create inviting spaces for people

In Oldham, Eco Streets now feature:

  • 5 rain gardens and swales
  • 120 raised planters
  • 20 window boxes
  • 10 water butts

These will be installed by Groundwork and the Council’s landscape contractors between September and November 2025.

Public events and activities

Throughout the project, the team has engaged with schools, businesses, residents, and visitors to share the benefits of urban nature and encourage people to take part in caring for their local environment.

Highlights include:

  • Nature Activity Day
  • Pupils from Horton Mill Community Primary School took part in a bug hunt, exploring the town’s new planters and learning about biodiversity.

Biodiversity Impact Assessment

Volunteers helped to complete an initial assessment of the site to understand its value for nature. The assessment will be repeated once the Eco Streets are complete.

Pollinator surveys

Volunteers monitored the new planters outside the Odeon and next to the War Memorial. Surveys recorded 17 pollinators at the Odeon planters and 8 at the War Memorial, compared to just 1 and 0 before installation – a great result!

School visits

Local schools visited the sites to learn about urban greening and see the Eco Streets in action.

Results

As of October 2025:

  • Over 430 community members have taken part in events
  • Almost 200 surveys completed, including responses from 39 local businesses
  • 78% of people surveyed agreed that street greening is extremely or somewhat important to them
  • 22 businesses and local organisations are helping to maintain the planters and other green infrastructure

Get involved

You can take part in local activities and learn more about how to make Oldham greener by visiting Groundwork’s website: