The plans incorporate feedback from residents, businesses and market traders and include food, drink, leisure and entertainment options as well as a better retail offer.

A purpose-built market will replace the existing market hall, which is no longer fit for purpose, while two new flexible spaces will be used live cooking demos, pop-ups, small exhibitions, family activities and market events.

A separate larger split-level events venue above the new market hall can be used for private and public functions and will feature roof-top views of the borough. The new events space and market can operate later than the rest of the shopping centre to boost Oldham’s leisure and entertainment offer and night-time economy.

A new ‘open to the public’ archive will showcase artefacts from Oldham’s arts and heritage services, while the upper floor of the building will be repurposed to create a flexible contemporary workspace to appeal to new entrepreneurs and growing sectors like creative design and media. This will sit alongside new offices for Oldham Council.

“The way we shop has changed over the years and the pandemic has sadly accelerated the changing face of the high street across the UK – making the need for investment more important than ever,” says Cllr Arooj Shah, Oldham Council leader and cabinet member for economic and social reform.

“But the redevelopment is not just about shiny new buildings. It underpins our Creating a Better Place regeneration strategy by enabling the wider regeneration of Oldham and supporting the borough’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. 

“It will help to get a wider footfall back in the town centre while releasing sites like the Civic Centre and existing market hall for redevelopment - in turn protecting our greenbelt by putting brownfield first.”