It will all be worth it!

MOLINO Lounge supervisor Josh Roux

WORK on Parliament Square ­in Oldham town centre is still not complete - but business owners and residents alike are hopeful that it will all be worth it.

The transformation at the former home of town centre bus stops and a car park into a new public space continues outside the new Odeon cinema and restaurant complex.

Oldham Council said earlier this month that the bulk of the construction would be completed by the end of January, but "complex foundation issues" means that the work on Firth Street and Clegg Street continues.

The council could not give a date for the completion date.

Since the regeneration project started several roads leading to the town centre have had to close and re-open, which has been inconvenient to some business and shoppers.

Gordana Carrera opened her business Cafe 22, on the top of Clegg Street, in December 2013, just months before the work started.

She said as different parts of the road have closed over the years it has made it difficult for her customers as they were not sure how to get to the cafe.

She said: "Elderly people used to come in a lot now it's too far for them to in. They stopped coming.

"We lost a lot of customers. It has affected us terribly.

"Once it's all done I think we will feel the benefits. I am hoping it will be good once it's finished. I'm optimistic."

Pat Newton and Eileen Butterworth have been regular customers since the cafe first opened, but admitted the roadworks had made it difficult for them at times to get there.

Pat said: "At first we couldn't come down, we had to walk all the way around. Because of the way the pavements are it causes problems walking for us.

Eileen added: "But it's all coming together nicely. They're making it look nice now and we will be able to get down here a lot easier."

One gentleman, who wished not to be named, was a first-time customer and is optimistic about the project.

He said: "You have to keep going different ways around but now because it's nearly complete.

"You just handle it for the greater good. Hopefully it will look good when it's finished."

Restaurants Nando's, Molino Lounge and Gourmet Burger Kitchen are already up and running and feature outdoor seating areas.

New delicatessen The Parliament Sq opened at the former Santander bank on the corner of High Street, which overlooks the development.

Josh Roux, one of the supervisors at Molino Lounge in Parliament Square, said now that the work is almost complete, it is making a difference to the restaurant.

He said: "In the beginning it took a while for people to know we were here. There was an issue with visibility.

"People have said it looks a lot nicer and they've commented on how it looks better. They're looking forward to it being finished."

Jamie Rust, manager of Nando's restaurant, added: "It has been picking up now. The building work was a lot worse when we first opened.

"When people come round the other side they can't really see the top of the road ­- it looks blocked up. Hopefully when the work is finished we will be more visible."

Jamie Pearson, who co-owns The Grill on nearby Retiro Street, has no issues with the ongoing work and believes it is necessary.

"There's nothing wrong with it," he said. "Construction projects like this take time.

"You can't complain.

"The council has got to do the work, it's as simple as that.

"It's good they have done the job here. It needed to be done."

However, councillor Howard Sykes, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on Oldham Council, expressed his disappointment that the work has still not been completed.

Councillor Sykes said: "Although we as politicians were all pleased to see the cinema opening, it is very disappointing that months later the work on improvement works to the square is still not complete.

"My understanding was that this work was scheduled for completion by Christmas or very early in the New Year so I am sorry to see that there is still much to do at the bottom end of the site. We must only hope that the contractors are able to pull back the timetable and finish the work soon so that Parliament Square might finally become the high quality town centre focal point that we all wish for and not a building site."

More restaurants are set to be announced in due course.