How the £70m Oldham SportsTown fits into Olympic bid

Oldham's £70 million SportsTown development at Boundary Park is being designed with Olympic ambitions in mind, as part of a broader plan to transform the borough into a sporting hub. The project, announced last year, will create a multi-sport centre of excellence around the Oldham Athletic stadium, featuring world-class netball and basketball facilities specifically built to support the North of England's bid to host future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has unveiled a decade of growth plans backed by at least £500 million from the National Wealth Fund, with SportsTown featuring prominently. The development will include sporting, health, education and community facilities, improved infrastructure, and new job opportunities for local residents.

A new Mayoral Development Corporation will be established to accelerate progress, bringing together partners to drive investment and development in the area. Councillor Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, emphasised that the Greater Manchester Good Growth Fund is enabling 'truly exciting changes' that residents will see and feel in their everyday lives.

The council leader described SportsTown as creating 'a cutting edge multi sport centre of excellence right here on our doorstep,' giving local people of all ages new places to train, play, and get active. Beyond sports facilities, the project includes new homes at Prince's Gate and improved transport links, with Shah noting that 'this investment means better facilities, more jobs, and real benefits for residents across our borough.