Ambitious £24 million plans for a brand-new home for Oldham Coliseum have officially been submitted this week.
After the historic theatre in the heart of Oldham announced its shock closure with a heartbreaking statement due to a loss of funding earlier this year, Oldham Council went on to unveil its vision for the future of Oldham Coliseum back in June, and even shared a few photos of what the impressive new cultural hub could look like.
With a design that’s been influenced by surrounding historical buildings, and using materials to “complement” the town’s current architecture, the Council says the plans for the “modern and accessible” theatre make it both suitable for the audiences of today, all while in keeping with Oldham’s proud history.
A main auditorium with seating for more than 300 people, a 120-seat studio theatre, an education suite, and a number of all-day café bar areas – which can also be used as additional performance spaces – all form part of the £24 million masterplan.
Plans for Oldham Coliseum’s £24m ‘new home’ have officially been submitted / Credit: Oldham Council
And now, those “ambitious” plans have officially been submitted this week – with a decision due to be made on the application by November.
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Set to take shape and form a focal point of Oldham’s new outdoor arts and performance space, the “new home” for Oldham Coliseum would be open from morning into the evening, and won’t just be a place for performances and theatre, according to the Council, but also a place where people can “meet up and socialise”.
The Council also hopes the exciting new theatre will boost the town’s night time economy.
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The plans form a focal point of Oldham’s new outdoor arts and performance space / Credit: Oldham Council
Speaking as the £24 million plans were submitted for approval this week, Cllr Arooj Shah, who is the Leader of Oldham Council, said: “This is such an exciting next step for Oldham Coliseum, theatregoers in Oldham and beyond, and everyone involved who has helped bring this new theatre to life.
“Oldham has such a fantastic heritage of theatre and production spanning back decades, so it’s important we continue this for future generations.
“It’s also important to remember that this new space won’t just be a theatre.
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“It will be a place that encourages people to come together with friends and family to get creative, socialise with one another and celebrate the arts [and] I personally can’t wait to see our new theatre throw open its doors.”
A formal decision is due to be made on the plans by November 2023 / Credit: Oldham Council
Duncan Craig OBE, Chair of Trustees, Oldham Coliseum’s Chair of Trustees, Duncan Craig, has also called the formal submitting of the plans this week “another exciting step forward”.
But he admitted that there’s “still a journey ahead”.
“The success of the theatre will only happen if we work together and show just exactly what a mighty Coliseum can be,” he concluded.
Featured Image – Oldham Council
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Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
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Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
30th August 2023 
