Oldham Council investigates licensing website issues

Oldham Council is investigating problems with its Public Registers Portal after The Oldham Times reported repeated failures to access the site over several months. The online database, which allows residents and journalists to search for licensed businesses, people, and premises across the borough, has been intermittently unavailable, displaying error messages including '504, bad gateway' when users try to load it.

The newspaper experienced multiple failed attempts to access the portal, including on Wednesday morning at 9am and 11am, across different internet networks. The Oldham Times uses the site regularly to keep readers informed about changes to local businesses, from new pub openings to restaurants extending their hours or shops adding alcohol sales to their offerings.

Examples of stories sourced through the portal include Grandpa Greenes launching its evening service after extending its alcohol license, a new bar opening in Royton, and a local flower shop seeking permission to include alcohol in its orders. The site has been a valuable resource for tracking how Oldham's business landscape evolves.

A council spokesperson confirmed that work is underway to identify and resolve the issue, stating: 'We are committed to providing a reliable service, and feedback like this helps us put things right as quickly as possible.' Until the problems are fixed, both journalists and the public will continue to face difficulties accessing important licensing information about local businesses.