Alexandra Park toilet block set for £55k refurbishment

The Boathouse at Alexandra Park

The council is carrying out a £55,000 refurbishment of the toilet block in the Boathouse at Oldham's Alexandra Park.

The improvement work will include bringing the facilities up to current standards and improving access via the café – a set up used in parks across the borough.

The toilets are currently in a poor state of repair and cannot be accessed from the Boathouse Café without people having to go outside.

As part of the work the existing door will be blocked off and once everything is finished current tenants of the café, Pure Innovations, will take over management and running responsibilities.

Councillor Chris Goodwin, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “This is good news for everyone – the facilities are being upgraded and they stay open.

“If we didn’t carry out this work there is a danger the toilets would continue to be misused and we’d have to look at closing them permanently.

“There is bound to be some disruption while the work is carried out but once it’s complete people will see a big improvement.

“The council isn't flush with money due to years of austerity, but it's important we continue to invest in our green spaces because they are well used and liked by residents of all ages.

“Recently we’ve reopened the conservatory at the other side of the park and installed a new play area down at Daisy Nook – and we’ll look to continue improving our sites across the borough.”

The work is due to start soon.

Alexandra Park was the first public park in Oldham, opened in 1865, and was named to commemorate the marriage of the Prince of Wales to Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

The park was one of the first ever ‘job creation’ schemes, developed to provide employment to the many cotton mill workers, who due to the Federal blockade of Confederate seaports during the 1861 American Civil War, found themselves without any raw cotton to spin.

It is fondly known as “The Cotton Famine Park”.

The park was restored to its former glory following a significant grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund back in 2004.

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