All change as car park relocates

Mumps Metrolink Car park

THE METROLINK park and ride site at Oldham Mumps is set to be relocated at the end of this month as part of the next step in the Prince's Gate regeneration scheme.

From Saturday, January 28, the current car park on Prince Street will close and the two-storey facility at Regent Street will officially open.

The two-storey car park, which has been under construction since April last year, will feature 254 spaces - the same as the current Oldham Mumps car park - for use by Metrolink customers.

The move is part of a land-swap agreement between Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Oldham Council to unlock the former park and ride site as part of a mixed-use development in the area.

However the Prince's Gate development proposals were dramatically affected in November when Marks and Spencer pulled out of plans to open a department store on the site of the former Metrolink car park.

The news was a blow to Oldham Council, who first announced plans for Prince's Gate in 2014, and more details about what will replace M&S at the development and how the proposals will develop are yet to be announced.

The retailer is still considering opening a food-only store within the borough Oldham.

Speaking about the park and ride opening date announcement, Jean Stretton, Oldham Council leader, said: "This is an important step forward in the Prince's Gate scheme, which is a fantastic regeneration opportunity at a key gateway into Oldham.

"The land swap with TfGM and the works undertaken to date are all necessary to unlock the potential of this site and help us to deliver new opportunities for growth and jobs in the local economy.

"We will give more progress updates on the scheme as soon as we can in 2017."

Overnight parking will not be available on the current Metrolink site on the evening of January 27, however weekend overnight parking is set to continue on the new park and ride from Saturday, January 28.

TfGM's Metrolink director, Peter Cushing, said: "We'll be working to ensure all our passengers who use park and ride facility are made aware of the change.

"I'd encourage them to keep a look out for the information that we'll be putting up at the stop and bear the date of this changeover in mind. The key thing to stress is that there will still be more than 250 free parking spaces for our customers to benefit from.

"We are committed to working with our partners to ensuring that we get the most out of the areas we serve, and this land-swap agreement will unlock the potential for future development of this area."

For more information on Metrolink services visit metrolink.co.uk, call Metrolink Customer Services on 0161 205 2000 or follow @MCRMetrolink for live travel updates.