Night time supremo vows to help new business taskforce give Oldham town centre a much-needed kickstart

A new taskforce is being created to help revitalise Oldham town centre’s evening and night time economy.

Businesses across the hospitality, entertainment and cultural sectors, alongside key public services, will come together to kickstart efforts to make Oldham the place to go for an evening or night out once again.

And Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord is supporting the town’s drive to create a unique new offer by hosting a special Evening and Night Time Economy Round Table to bring all interested partners together on Friday week, March 22.

Mr Lord said: “Oldham has big plans for the local economy - and you can see it through the changes and developments taking place.

"I am a massive believer in harnessing the power of partnerships and local people to develop fresh new plans.

“We all want a vibrant, welcoming and successful night time economy for the town.

"I hope this roundtable will be a place for creativity, ideas and to develop and new vision and taskforce to deliver it from every part of the cultural, hospitality and public sectors.”

Oldham Council Leader Cllr Arooj Shah said: “If we’re going to make Oldham the place to go again for local people and visitors, we need to do something different.

"Only by working together can we develop fresh new propositions to attract people across our diverse communities back into the centre on a night.

“Whether that’s families, non-drinkers, or people of all ages who want a great time, we want them back.

"We’re investing to transform the town centre, including a new-look Spindles, public spaces and through events that attract footfall and benefit businesses during the day and increasingly evening.

“But we need to do more - and maybe something very different.

"Experts like Sacha bring wider experiences and perspectives, so together we can create a unique Oldham offering.”

One proposed goal is to win Purple Flag status for the town.

This is an internationally-recognised accreditation for town and city centres that means people can expect an entertaining, diverse and safe night out.

To join Oldham’s Evening and Night Time Economy Roundtable event, please contact: invest@oldham.gov.uk

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