Oldham town centre is set to be “transformed” after being granted £24.4m from the Towns Fund for 2021.
The £3.6 billion government pot was announced in January – with the money released to boost local economies, create jobs and help towns build back better from the pandemic.
Oldham is set to use its share of the funding to create the UK’s largest urban farm and eco-park – providing 160 acres of high-quality green space for community use.
Part of the money will also be used to turn Tommyfield Market into a purpose-built facility in Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre (where flexible workspace will also be created).
The council is also launching the ‘Making Space – For Live Performance’ project – designed to expand the existing performing arts offer in scope, scale and quality. The development will be situated within a redeveloped Old Post Office and aspires to be a net-zero carbon enterprise.
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Council leaders say the funding will be used with a focus on sustainability – placing green recovery at the heart of town centre regeneration.
The money was secured by Oldham’s Town Deal Board – a group dedicated to developing the borough’s Investment Plan.
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Oldham is set to benefit from new funding for four key projects / Image: Wikimedia Commons
Cllr Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council and Cabinet Member for Economic and Social Reform, said: “As Oldhamers we know our town has fantastic potential, and we are pleased that the Government have endorsed our vision for the town centre.
“Oldham bid for a competitive £41m for five ambitious projects that will make the town centre a place that mixes retail, work, homes and leisure, and will help establish Oldham as the greenest borough in Greater Manchester. Securing funding for four out of five is a great result.
“We will now look at alternative routes to delivering the fifth project – a Minewater Heat Network which could convert water from flooded coal mines into energy to create an environmentally friendly power source for the town centre.”
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He added: “These projects will not only boost regeneration, they will also create much-needed jobs, apprenticeships, training and opportunities to support our recovery from the pandemic as sustainably as possible.”
The £24.4m Towns Fund funding follows Oldham’s successful bid for £10.7 million from the Future High Streets Fund – which will support other local regeneration projects such as making the town centre more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, launching a new food hall in the Old Town Hall’s Egyptian Room, and opening a business hub for digital start-ups.
Peter Holbrook CBE, Chair of Oldham Town Deal Board and Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK, said: “We’re delighted to have received this funding which will realise the ambition for change in Oldham.
“The Town Deal Board is made up of private and public sector partners who all share a combined vision for Oldham to be a town where business and enterprise can thrive and where people want to live, visit, relax and work. The projects within our bid will help us to deliver that shared goal.
“My thanks goes to the Board and everyone who has played their part in securing this important funding for the borough. We look forward to continuing to work together to bring the projects to life and help Oldham realise its potential.”
Oldham
Iconic ice cream cafe Grandpa Greene’s to ‘completely demolish’ canalside location, revealing big new plans
Daisy Jackson
Grandpa Greene’s fans have just one month left to visit the ice cream company’s iconic canalside cafe, with the team announcing its imminent closure – but not for too long.
The family-run business has huge plans for the site, announcing that it will be ‘completely demolishing’ the Diggle cafe to redevelop it into a new space.
This ice cream brand is one of the North West’s favourite food producers, creating dozens of ice cream flavours to serve from their parlours, as well as indulgent treats like pancakes, afternoon teas, hot chocolates, and milkshakes.
The location that most people think of when they think of Grandpa Greene’s is their spot right on the canal in Diggle, but after more than 20 years, it’s time to give the site some TLC.
Grandpa Greene’s has operated from here since 2005, when Carole Scholes opened an ice cream ‘shed’.
Now, they want to turn it into ‘the ultimate hospitality destination’, with reclaimed Cheshire brickwork, huge windows, and a vaulted roof, making the most of the scenic surrounds.
Rick Scholes, managing director at Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream, said: “In 2005, my mum, Carole, opened a small canalside ice cream shed in Diggle after bringing my grandfather’s original family ice cream recipes back to life. None of us could ever have imagined where that journey would lead.
Grandpa Greene’s existing canalside location in Diggle will closeThe family-run business has grand plans for the siteCredit: The Manc Group
“Over the last 21 years, Grandpa Greene’s has grown organically thanks to the incredible support of our customers, our team and the local community. It’s amazing to think that what started as a small canalside ice cream shed will soon become the ultimate hospitality destination.
“This redevelopment represents the biggest investment in the history of our Diggle site and our commitment to securing the future of Grandpa Greene’s for many years to come.
“While we’re preserving everything that has made this place so special, we’re creating a fantastic new space that can be enjoyed all year round including one of the biggest milestones for the site… indoor toilets!
“We close our Diggle site this September to begin this exciting new chapter and look forward to welcoming guests back in December.
“On behalf of my family, thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last 21 years. We can’t wait to welcome you back and share the next chapter of the Grandpa Greene’s story.”
All Brewers Fayre and Beefeater locations across the UK are closing down
Danny Jones
It looks to be the end for not one but two of Britain’s best-known and long-running restaurant franchises, as Brewers Fayre and Beefeaters will be closing down all of their locations.
Dating back to the mid-1970s, there will soon be none left anywhere in the country
The pair of recognisable chains, owned by parent company Whitbread PLC – who also own Premier Inn, hence why they usually come as a joint package – have nearly 200 sites across the UK, but they are already in the process of a wholesale shutdown.
News of the impending closures first began circulating back in April, but now the process is said to be fully underway, with multiple Greater Manchester names on the chopping block.
A real shame all brewers fayres are closing down. As a member they’ve sent me a last free main. So enjoying a mixed grill pic.twitter.com/EIHMZ7LCvv
— Daniel Turner⚽️ 🏟️ 1️⃣1️⃣5️⃣8️⃣ (@puffpuff65) August 4, 2026
With roughly 3,800 staff set to be made unemployed as part of the major restructuring by Whitbread, the job cuts will see approximately 12% of their workforce laid off from a total of around 30,000.
One local duo due to face the music is the soon-to-close Stable Gate in Denton and Wheatlea Park in Wigan – both of which are Brewers Fayre branches.
89 of the brand’s boozers have been given until early September (some dates may vary) to shut up shop and hold not just their last orders, but their final dinner service full stop.
The rest of the venues closing next month are Beefeater pubs, including the Heaton Park one in Crumpsall, The Quay House at Salford Quays, and the Whitgate Inn over Oldham way.
As for others nearby, Macclesfield’s Springwood Park is also set to close.
The older of the two British mainstays is Beefeater, which was founded by Whitbread back in 1974 when they opened their first pub, The Halfway House, down in Enfield.
Brewers debuted up North in ’79, with a maiden watering hole called The Farmers Arms in Preston, before going on to open several locations around Lancashire and eventually nationwide.
Most of you will likely have visited or at the very least passed one of those food and drink spots in your time, and while they may be more associated with hotels and service stations these days, they still served as regular haunts for plenty of people who will no doubt be gutted to see them go.
Speaking of services, another big name is expanding further into the North West.
The Manc -
9th June 2021 
