Demolition work has started on a King Street building in Oldham that collapsed on March 24, injuring three people with two requiring hospital treatment. The building, part-owned by Hollinwood Councillor Kamran Ghafoor and business partner Sameer Zulqurnain under KKS Investors, had been showing large cracks for years. Following the collapse, 40 people were evacuated from surrounding buildings and King Street has remained closed to vehicles for over a week. Engineers describe the demolition as 'delicate' due to adjacent properties, with roads expected to reopen later this week once deemed safe. Investigations into the cause continue.
Oldham councillor Kamran Ghafoor, leader of the Oldham Group and Hollinwood ward representative, has issued a statement about the King Street building collapse. The building at 31 King Street, owned by a company of which Ghafoor is a director, partially collapsed on March 24. Ghafoor confirmed that preliminary structural works were being carried out to address concerns about an exposed side wall left vulnerable after a neighbouring building was demolished years earlier. A qualified structural engineer had been instructed, building regulations notice submitted, and professional contractors were engaged. Five people were treated by ambulance crews and two hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries. Emergency services including police, fire, ambulance, air ambulance, and Cadent Gas remain at the scene. The cause remains under investigation with full cooperation from authorities.
Michael Graley, 76, a retired cemetery and crematorium manager from Oldham, died on August 16, 2025 while on a family holiday in Cyprus. The inquest at Rochdale Coroners' Court heard he had previously been treated for heart conditions, lung cancer and prostate cancer. His GP had deemed him fit to fly before the trip, but he became unwell in Cyprus and was taken to a hospital in Famagusta where his condition deteriorated. Assistant coroner Matthew Cox determined a full inquest is necessary and set a review date for April 16, 2026.
Retired Oldham nurse Rosemary Andrew, from Hollinwood, has been living with renal cell cancer since June 2022. She initially received intravenous immunotherapy drugs ipilimumab and nivolumab, then maintenance therapy with nivolumab delivered as hour-long infusions at The Christie in Withington. Since November 2025, she has received the same drug as a quick under-the-skin injection at Dr Kershaw's Hospice in Royton, reducing treatment visits to around 10 minutes. Her most recent scan in January 2026 showed no measurable disease. The Christie's lead nurse for systemic anti-cancer treatments, Gemma Jones, described the injectable nivolumab as a 'game-changer' for patients who rely on this drug.
The Welcome Inn pub on Hollins Road in Oldham has launched an Easter egg appeal to bring cheer to children at Royal Oldham Hospital's children's ward. The pub aims to collect Easter eggs for young patients and their families during the holiday period, as spending Easter in hospital can be incredibly tough. So far, 38 Easter eggs have been donated to the cause. The pub is encouraging community support and accepting donations between 11am and 11pm. More information is available on The Welcome Inn Oldham Facebook page.
A new Lidl supermarket has officially opened at the Hollinwood Junction site in Oldham, marking another milestone in the town's retail expansion. The opening is part of the broader Building a Better Oldham regeneration programme, which has also seen the historic Old Library building brought back to public use. Oldham Council has unveiled major developments for the town centre at the Town Centre Forum, with plans to transform key areas as part of the ongoing regeneration efforts. The Old Library, a much-loved building, is being repurposed as part of Oldham's transformation, with a new exhibition at Gallery Oldham looking forward to its next chapter.
A new Lidl supermarket has officially opened at Hollinwood Junction in Oldham, creating up to 40 full-time equivalent jobs. The store was opened by Mayor of Oldham Cllr Arooj Shah alongside pupils from Hollinwood Academy. The £25 million regeneration project at Hollinwood Junction, led by Langtree in partnership with Oldham Council, is due for completion in Summer 2026 and will deliver around 720 jobs. The development includes Costa Coffee and a Euro Garage, with plans for 2,000 new homes in Oldham town centre and a revamped Spindles market.