Repairs to Grade-Two listed historic clock tower agreed

A historic clock tower at a former Diggle pallet works is to be repaired, town hall chiefs have agreed.

Members of Oldham’s cabinet have signed off on plans to commission an ‘envelope repair’ of the former WH Shaws office and Grade-Two listed clock tower building.

A report to cabinet states that building, which is known as ‘The Cathedral’, is a ‘significant heritage asset which forms the gateway to the new Saddleworth School’.

The large pallet factory, which dates back more than 150 years, closed in 2006.

It doubled up as a munitions factory to assist with the war effort during the Second World War and helped create parts for Russian submarines to help counter the U-boat threat.

As part of the works to build the new 1,500-pupil Saddleworth School building on the site, the majority of the factory was demolished.

However the historic clock tower remains and has been transferred to the council’s corporate estate under its ‘creating a better place’ programme.

Building work on the new Saddleworth School premises in Diggle, funded by the Department for Education, has now been completed ready for students to move in.

Council chiefs considered three options for the clock tower building, which is now in a ‘poor condition’.

This included a full  build repair – however bosses say that without a ‘clear end-use for the building’ this is not considered a viable option.

Holding repairs, which would see the minimum necessary works done to the building, were also ruled out.

Instead it was agreed to carry out an envelope of the building, which was built in 1860.

This will aim to ‘introduce the provision of mains services into the building and refurbish the external fabric of the building to meet modern design standards, providing long term protection to the building interiors’, according to the report.

Officers say this will allow the building to be ‘mothballed whilst an appropriate end use is identified’.

The report states: “It allows the building to be retained in a presentable condition that prevents further degradation and presents greater opportunities for further development from its ‘shell and core’ state.”

Council leader Arooj Shah said: “The clock tower is an important part of our heritage.

“I do take issue with the term mothballed in this report, I do not want this building to be mothballed, I want an end use identified as soon as possible.”

A design team will now need to be appointed to develop and manage the works.

The cost of the repairs was discussed in a confidential section of the meeting.

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