What lies beneath

Civic Centre Bunker

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THOUSANDS of Oldhamers visit the civic centre every year with no idea what lies directly beneath their feet.

A fascinating collection of images released by the council reveals a Cold War nuclear bunker which is still home to equipment used at the time.

Made up of subterranean corridors and rooms, the structure was designed to house those tasked with keeping Oldham functioning if the nuclear attack sirens ever sounded.

Only a select few would have gained entry to the bunker including senior councillors, police chiefs, engineers, doctors and communications experts.

If the siren had ever sounded, they would have had just minutes to get below ground.

Council leader Jim McMahon said: “I think it’s fair to say not many of our residents realise there is a bunker underneath the building.

“It is quite strange and shocking to think that if the bomb would have been dropped, this is where some of the survivors would have ended up, effectively being entrusted to help run what was left of the country.

“Thankfully, the bunker never had to be used but hopefully these images will give people a look at what it would have been like living and working underground.”

Designers Cecil Howitt & Partners built the chambers, made up of reinforced concrete and brick, as part of the its overall design for the civic centre, which opened in 1977.

The labyrinth of rooms — entry to which is still barred by a gate with the warning sign “No unauthorised persons allowed beyond this point” — are now used as storage space.

But there are still a few relics of the past which give a glimpse of what life would have been like in the bunker.

There are boxes of ticker tape, which would have been used to send messages to the Government, and abandoned telephones and an old exchange which give a glimpse of how the post-apocalypse survivors would have kept in contact with the outside world.

There’s also a collection of dust-covered spare fuses and light bulbs, which would have been used to keep the computers and electrical equipment running in the event of a nuclear winter.

Abandoned sinks, desks and chairs give an insight into how office equipment has changed since 1977 — the year “Star Wars” topped box offices around the world and Abba ruled the airwaves. During the Cold War, the Government ordered the construction of thousands of underground complexes. Many have since been decommissioned or been sold off.

The original design of the civic centre was drawn up in 1960.

The first phase, which contained the council’s social services and housing departments, opened in West Street in 1962.

The council announced its decision to go ahead with the remainder of the building on Christmas Eve, 1972.

Construction started in 1975, when workmen discovered three small coal seams and a disused mine-shaft during foundation work on the West Street site of the proposed tower block section. The shaft was sealed off and filled in.

The top of the tower block is 900ft above sea level giving a panoramic view of Oldham and the surrounding area.

The new civic centre was officially opened by the Queen Mother on March 1, 1977.