Car park to go in bid to kick-start Eastern Gateway project

Picture courtesy of Oldham Council

Councillors in Oldham have announced that they plan to sell off one of the town’s car parks in a bid to kick-start their Eastern Gateway project and breathe life into one part of the town.

Under the proposal, which has been passed by the local authorities’ cabinet, they’ll be looking to find someone to buy the car park at Oldham Way and Yorkshire Street with an eye to turning it into a hotel with retail opportunities.

It marks the most significant step in the £60 million project since retail giant Marks and Spencer announced they’re pulling out of an agreement to be the anchor tenant of the whole development.

Leader of Oldham Council, Sean Fielding, told a meeting: “This is about the Eastern Gateway, or Prince’s Gate, or Mumps Bridge or whatever you want to call it, it’s got a lot of different names.

“Members will be aware that there have been various different plans drawn up for this site and we’re now at a stage where we’ve got something on the table.

“We can move forward and deliver some redevelopment of the eastern gateway of our town which will provide a good entrance for people travelling down Huddersfield Road and down Lees Road.

“And we really need to do that, it is an underused part of our town centre and it is a crying shame that it has been allowed to be empty for so long.

“But in the proposed sale of Site A, which is the former Metrolink park and ride currently used as a council car park, we are able to get moving on this and it is a real good news story.

“I just wanted to welcome the fact that we are progressing with the development down at Prince’s Gate at long last.”

As part of a report presented to the town’s cabinet, a number of different sites were identified which could be redeveloped into housing, leisure, retail and entertainment facilities.

This includes the car park, which used to be owned by Transport for Greater Manchester.

It all forms part of the town’s masterplan, which included the building of around 800 homes at Oldham Mumps.

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