Foundations have been laid for Oldham's new £2m outdoor market on George Square behind Spindles shopping centre. The project will relocate traders from Tommyfield Market car park to a site between the police station and shopping centre. Funded by £1m government grant and £1m council capital spend, the works are expected to complete before year-end, though delays have pushed back the timeline from the original late 2025 target. The new market could also serve as an outdoor venue for cultural events. The project is part of a wider £430m regeneration including 2,000 new homes through a 15-year partnership with Muse developers.
A 130-year-old station house in Greenfield, built around 1886 on the former Micklehurst Loop railway line, is set to be demolished and replaced with a modern two-storey home featuring a swimming pool. The property, located just off Station Lane, was converted into a dwelling after the railway closed in 1965. Planning permission was initially granted for four homes, then revised for a single family home in June 2025. Applicants Paul and Natalie Bamber sought a larger family home to meet future needs. The new design will use reclaimed stonework but will not replicate the original building. The application received one objection arguing the property should be renovated rather than demolished, citing its structural soundness and heritage value. The Greater Manchester Ecology Unit found no significant conservation concerns. Plans were approved subject to conditions including planting, bat...
Plans to convert the former Barclays bank on Market Street in Oldham town centre into a casino have been approved. The Grade II listed building has been vacant since the branch closed in 2023. One objection raised concerns about 24-hour opening, noise, antisocial behaviour, and impact on the historic building's character. Planning officers found no policy basis to refuse the scheme despite three other adult gaming centres and four betting shops nearby. The casino will be operated by Merkur Slots and internal screening will be non-permanent to protect the building's historic fabric.
A planning application has been submitted to Oldham Council to convert the former Bodycare store in Royton into a nail salon. The store, also known as Graham's, closed on September 5, 2025, after Bodycare appointed administrators from Interpath following funding shortfalls and creditor pressure. The application was submitted by Atif Rauf of Sheet Anchor Investments Ltd. The plans show the retail layout will remain similar with ground floor retail and first floor staff areas. Social media users expressed mixed reactions, with some concerned about existing nail businesses in the precinct while others welcomed any new business to prevent boarded-up shops.
Oldham Council has validated several planning applications in the past week. These include a two-storey rear extension at 19 Rutland Street, padel sports courts at Marlborough Street Community Centre, a new dwelling on Ashton Road in Woodhouses, and conversion of first-floor office space at 100 Main Road to a residential flat. The applications cover residential, leisure, and commercial-to-residential developments across different parts of Oldham.
Marlborough Street Community Centre in Oldham has submitted plans to Oldham Council for three new padel courts in its car park. The proposal includes two double courts and one single court, all with rain canopies and wire meshing above glass walls. Padel Republic Oldham Ltd, incorporated February 16, 2026, is the applicant. The application was validated March 26 and will be decided by May 21. The centre, formerly the Pakistani Community Centre, was refurbished by Oldham Council after closing due to health and safety concerns.
Plans are advancing for three new tower blocks with 331 apartments at Prince's Gate in Oldham Mumps. The development includes 75 affordable homes funded partly by council Right-to-Buy receipts, plus shops and green spaces. Backed by £31.5m from GMCA's Good Growth Funding and government money, the council is finalising a grant agreement with developer Muse. Due to the pre-election period, final contractor decisions will be delegated to council executives rather than public cabinet meetings. The project follows two previous failed schemes after M&S and Lidl withdrew from building shops and a hotel on the site.
Oldham Council has validated seven planning applications from across the borough. Proposals include a two-storey rear extension and new porch at 56 Beech Avenue in Greenfield, and a single-storey rear extension with garden landscaping at Springmere in Delph. In Royton, plans involve converting workshops to a breakers yard with 2.4m high security fencing at Wheatfield House, and changing a first-floor space to a one-bedroom flat at 153 Oldham Road. A hotel in Denshaw is proposed to become a residential institution, while a condition discharge for cycle parking has been applied for at 12 Pole Lane in Failsworth.
A planning application for 68 affordable homes in Failsworth has been submitted by Emery Planning on behalf of Redwaters Estates. The development would include social rent and shared ownership units, with terraces, semi-detached and detached houses. Over 32 objections have been raised by residents, particularly those on Argyll Park Road, citing concerns about traffic, wildlife, area character, and wellbeing. The application was submitted in February and validated on March 6.
A new 19-acre linear park has opened on Foxdenton Lane in Chadderton as part of the Broadway Green development. The park features a playground designed to blend with natural surroundings, footpaths, viewpoints, newly planted trees, shrubs, and wildflower meadows. Construction began in February 2024, and the park sits alongside a housing development where 500 new homes are being built, including 180 affordable units. The development also includes 600,000 square feet of commercial space. Councillor Elaine Taylor praised the park as a beautiful space for families and children to enjoy for generations. Residents have welcomed the addition, with some suggesting improvements like adding a bin.
An application has been submitted to convert a house on Diglea in Saddleworth into a holiday lodge. The property, located next to the Diggle Hotel pub on Station Houses, would undergo internal alterations including a high-quality interior design with an open-plan kitchen and living room on the ground floor, and two ensuite bedrooms on the first floor. No external changes would be made to the stonework facade. The proposal includes creating a car parking space, with the applicant stating that pedestrian access to the adjacent property at 3 Diglea would not be affected. The area is described as generally residential with other holiday lets in close proximity.
A former NatWest bank on Oldham Road in Failsworth has been approved for conversion into nine flats and a coworking space. The ground floor will contain three units while the upper floor will have six. Each flat will include a kitchen, dining space, living area, one bedroom, and bathroom. The planning officer's report stated the development will contribute to local housing stock and can be implemented quickly due to the site's small size. Conditions include noise mitigation measures due to the building's proximity to the A62. Some ground-floor windows near a public footpath raised privacy concerns, but planners noted this is consistent with existing nearby homes.
A controversial 1,700-home masterplan for Beal Valley and Broadbent Moss in Oldham has been in development for over a decade, first appearing in the 2016 Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. The plan includes proposals for hundreds of homes and a new tram stop, which has divided residents and councillors. Oldham Council approved the Places for Everyone plan in 2021, earmarking Green Belt land for development despite opposition from Liberal Democrats and other councillors who argued for a brownfield-first approach. A public consultation launched in July 2025, with concerns raised about school places and local services. A planning application for the first phase of 248 homes was submitted at the end of the month, while residents near Bullcote Lane expressed concerns about their estate becoming a through road. A second consultation launched around the same time, causing a 12-month delay...
Oldham Council has validated multiple planning applications for property developments across the borough. Applications include a holiday lodge conversion at Diglea in Diggle, two-storey rear extensions at Northgate Harrop Green Lane and Castlemere Drive in Shaw, and garage conversions at Lower Knoll Road in Diggle and 83 Church Road in Uppermill. Other proposals include single-storey rear extensions at Brow Top in Greenfield, Beech Hill Road in Grasscroft, and 83 Church Road in Uppermill, plus a two-storey side extension at Partridge Road in Failsworth. A replacement wooden front door is planned for Gatehead Farm in Delph, and a part two-storey first floor extension is proposed for Starting Chair Farm in Scouthead.
A family assessment centre on Queen Street in Royton has received planning permission to expand into the neighbouring house. The expansion will create internal access between the two properties and allow two additional families to be placed at the centre. The original unit was approved in 2023. Residents were divided on the plans, with six support comments highlighting the centre's positive community impact and five objections raising concerns about parking issues on the street. Planning officers stated the additional people would be a 'replacement' of typical home comings and goings, and highways officers raised no objections.
Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Primary School in Oldham has been granted permission to install CCTV cameras on four six-metre poles around the site. The plans initially included a tannoy system, but this was removed after noise concerns. Eleven neighbours objected, citing privacy, light pollution, and property value impacts. Planning officers concluded the cameras would be designed to obscure images beyond school boundaries and lighting would not cause significant light pollution. The approved plans will not create significant adverse impact on nearby residents' amenity.
Oldham Council launched a consultation on a 1,700-home masterplan for Beal Valley and Broadbent Moss, including plans for a new tram stop. The consultation runs until noon on March 30, 2026, and residents can submit comments online, by email, or by post. The plan has faced opposition from residents concerned about traffic management and the potential impact on local roads. The consultation document includes a masterplan, design code, and infrastructure delivery strategy.
Jane Dronsfield, owner of K&M Global automotive wholesaler, has urged developers to abandon plans to build 26 new homes on the Wall Hill Mill site in Saddleworth. Instead, she wants them to focus on creating a new road opening to improve safety on Mill Lane, a narrow country road currently accessed at the top of Wall Hill Road. The mill site, which K&M Global currently occupies, previously had planning approval for housing but the permission was surrendered due to historic industrial contamination. The proposed housing development has received 20 public comments, with seven objections citing traffic concerns and 12 in support who view it as an improvement over the current brownfield site.
Oldham Council's planning committee approved a shipping container takeaway at Silver Street and Peter Street junction on a temporary 12-month basis. Highway Engineer Wendy Moorhouse objected, citing concerns about illegal parking, congestion, and delivery driver disruption. Councillor Dave Murphy proposed the temporary approval to monitor traffic impact before deciding on permanent permission. The vote ended in a tie, with chair Marc Hince casting the deciding vote in favour. Six councillors supported the temporary approval while six opposed it, with one abstention.
A six-bed HMO at Kevin Avenue, Royton, has been approved by Oldham Council despite 40 objections from neighbours. Property owner Footlong (UK) Ltd can extend the house to create the HMO. Resident Angela Collier found 16 three and four-bedroom HMOs in the local area and reported 'anger and upset' among neighbours who fear family homes are being eradicated. Councillor Jade Hughes warned the HMO could displace vulnerable families and foster a transient population. Concerns about parking and emergency vehicle access were raised, though planners confirmed the household would get no parking permits due to off-road parking. The application passed by one vote after councillors feared a second deferral could lead to costly non-determination appeals.