Plans for five Greater Manchester towns, including Oldham, to gain major new investment through "mayoral development corporations" have moved forward after public consultations.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has been consulting on proposals to create these partnerships between local leaders and the Greater Manchester mayor. The aim is to attract public and private funding for regeneration projects.

In Oldham, the proposed mayoral development corporation would be focused around a new Health, Sport Science and Innovation Campus. This campus forms part of the £70m SportsTown masterplan, which seeks to improve health, education, and culture locally.

An Oldham council spokesperson said the corporation was a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to accelerate regeneration". They stated it would help unlock investment, create jobs, attract new businesses, and deliver more homes as part of ongoing projects like SportsTown and Northern Roots.

Feedback from the public consultations is now being reviewed by the GMCA before the next steps are taken. The move follows the model of Stockport, where a mayoral development corporation set up in 2019 is overseeing a £2bn transformation.

Similar proposals are also being developed for Bolton, Middleton, and Ashton and Stalybridge in Tameside, each with their own specific regeneration focuses.