Young people help with designs at Northern Roots

The project which is set to become the UK’s largest urban farm and eco-park

Young people from across Oldham have been helping to co-design Northern Roots’ proposed Visitor Centre and Learning Centre, as part of Northern Roots ongoing community consultation.

Students from Oldham College and young people from Mahdlo Youth Zone met with the Northern Roots team and architect Alison Thornton-Sykes, to talk about what they’d like to see and do in the proposed buildings.
 
The young people shared ideas for how they’d like the buildings to look, the materials they could be constructed with, and how the buildings could be designed to be sustainable and use green technologies like solar power.

Cllr Abdul Jabbar, Cabinet Lead for Northern Roots, said: “We had some fantastic ideas and suggestions from the young people who took part in the events.”

“They’re the future of our town and we will be taking their comments on board so that the final design reflects what they tell us they want.”

The Northern Roots project will transform the 160-acre site at Snipe Clough, near Alexandra Park, into a destination for leisure, enterprise and learning. Northern Roots unveiled the initial masterplan for the site in August 2021, inviting residents across Oldham to meet the project team, get involved and share ideas and feedback.

Alison Thornton-Sykes, architect, JDDK Architects, said: “Northern Roots is at the heart of the community in Oldham – so we want the community to be at the heart of the design.
“It’s been amazing to meet and work with these young people and hear their wonderful ideas first-hand. We look forward to bringing them to life!”

There are two opportunities for residents to meet Alison and the Northern Roots team and get involved in designing the proposed Visitor and Learning Centres this October.

The first session takes place at Alexandra Park Depot, 5 Kings Road, OL8 2BH tomorrow, 1.30-5pm.

The second is on Saturday 23rd October,  1.30-5pm. These are drop-in sessions, so no need to book in advance. Children and young people are welcome to attend.

Northern Roots is also running free site tours so you can discover more about the new urban farm and country park.

Tours run on Saturday 9th October, 10am to midday, and Saturday 23rd October, 10am to midday. Places are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s free to attend but you must book in advance.

These events follow the first phase of Northern Roots masterplan consultation which included an interactive map and in-person events. Feedback will help to shape a revised masterplan which will be shared for further consultation in November 2021.

The first stage of consultation has now closed, but you can still view the interactive map, explore proposals and look at other people’s comments.

To find out more, book a site tour or attend a meet the architect session, click here.

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