Northern Roots initial masterplan consultation goes live, for residents to help shape vision.

Northern Roots has just unveiled its initial masterplan for the 160-acre site in an interactive map and is inviting residents and local communities to meet the project team, get involved and have their say.

The digital map allows residents to move around the site virtually and comment on the design ideas and the proposals for each area. 

Northern Roots is creating the UK’s largest urban farm and eco-park on 160-acres of under-used green space, five minutes from Oldham town centre, Greater Manchester.

The vision for Northern Roots is to create sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits for those communities. The project aims to:

·      Develop a range of new facilities and activities to create a unique new community asset and visitor destination.

·      Create jobs, training and business opportunities for local people.

·      Stimulate the local economy and attract increased visitor numbers to the wider borough.

·      Improve the health and wellbeing of local residents and communities.

·      Protect and enhance the habitat, biodiversity and environmental value of the 160-acre Northern Roots site.

Northern Roots is hosting two initial public consultation events in September, which is an opportunity for residents to come and meet the team, discuss the plans and share ideas and concerns. Everyone is welcome.

There are being held on;

Saturday 4th September 2021, 11am to 3pm, at Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre, Oldham. Northern Roots will be located outside Debenhams.

Thursday 16th September from 3pm to 7.30pm at Alexandra Park Depot, 5 Kings Rd, Oldham, OL8 2AX.

The Northern Roots team will be running a number of bookable Northern Roots site tours this autumn. The site tours are an opportunity for residents to meet the team, walk the site and discuss the proposed plans in situ. 

At this stage in the consultation process, none of the proposals are fixed, and Northern Roots want to hear from as many residents and local communities as possible. 

Residents’ feedback is crucial to revising and updating the proposed masterplan for Northern Roots. Residents’ ideas, suggestions and concerns will directly feed into the next iteration of the masterplan. 

This will then be shared with the public for further consultation and feedback over the course of this autumn.

On the basis of that round of consultation, the final masterplan will then be developed for inclusion in the planning application for Northern Roots.

Northern Roots is one of four projects put forward by Oldham to successfully receive funding from the government’s Towns Fund. Oldham has been awarded a total of £24.4 million to support the four projects.

Northern Roots announced the appointment of award-winning architects JDDK in July 2021.

JDDK will lead on the design of the proposed Visitor and Learning Centre on the 160-acre Northern Roots site in Oldham, Greater Manchester.

Visit the interactive map here: https://northern-roots.uk/get-involved/masterplan-consultation/

 

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