Our amazing Hotel Future

ONE of the main planks of Oldham’s London presentation at the South Bank was Hotel Future, the multi-million pound luxury hotel and conference project planned for land next to the Civic Centre.

Steven Miles, from the Manchester Hoteliers’ Association, spoke of the hotel and catering industry’s pride at having such a facility saying: “Finally the country’s fourth-largest employment sector has some joined-up thinking.

“We are all very excited and Oldham is going to get a first-class facility.”

He introduced Hugh Robertson, Minister for Sport and Tourism, who said: “This a huge plus for Oldham Council. Greater Manchester is certainly a happening place.”

His words were supported by Sir Howard Bernstein, the chief executive of Manchester City Council, who declared it was a “privilege” to be part of the event.

He added: “In the Manchester city region we understand our assets; we are no longer a one-trick pony, we are an essential driver of the economy.

“I am privileged to be here today because the leadership of Oldham Council is getting it absolutely right.”

“We have the capacity to create 75,000 new jobs in the next years. The challenges we face are not wholly social but economic.”

Summing up, Oldham council leader Councillor Jim McMahon said: “We are here to create a momentum for change. Oldham has a place in history but more than that we want to play a part in the future.

“Every council leader will say the same, but we are not about managing decline. You people in this room today can be the new founding fathers of the new Oldham.”





WHY WE BELIEVE
::Helen Wills, operations director at construction giant Balfour Beatty: “Today has opened people’s eyes to what Oldham can do.

“I am with a colleague based in the south and he cannot believe what is on offer in Oldham.

“Without an event of this kind he would never have looked at Oldham.”



::Oldham MP David Heyes: “We have struggled for so long to shake off a horrible image and at long last we can.

“There has been a really impressive turn out today of top people. They have the money to create prosperity and create jobs.”



::Tim Newns, chief executive of MIDAS, the inward investment agency: “People who haven’t done very much in Oldham are certainly very impressed by what they have heard.”



::Darren Jones, Oldham Council’s investment officer, said: “Today has elevated Oldham into a different league in terms of profile and image.”



::Steven Barnes, development director at Langtree, who are working on the Royton redevelopment: “If they won’t come to you then you have to go to them. The impressions that people today have formed today of Oldham have been very positive.”



::Trevor Goode, a solicitor based in London: “Prior to today I had very little knowledge of Oldham. Today has been quite refreshing. I ask clients if they have considered investing in Oldham because they have a can-do authority.”



::Chris Jones, from investment consultants Christopher Dee: “I have been talking to Prudential and its fund managers have been extremely impressed in the direction Oldham is taking.”



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