Oldham's flags-ship developments..!

Photo: Darren Robinson

MAJOR upheaval . . . .Oldham Town Hall redevelopment update can been seen in this picture by DARREN ROBINSON taken from the New Start Group's offices in Church Terrace

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IT looks like Oldham's old town hall construction workers need no longer worry about flagging in the heat - but there's lots of flagging to be done...

Thousands of paving stones have been stockpiled while waiting to be placed outside the flagship redevelopment as the £36.7 million cinema complex prepares for its autumn premiere.

Work is on-going to landscape adjoining Parliament Square and spruce up surrounding Yorkshire Street including road and footway resurfacing, installing bus stops and improved pedestrian crossings as the town prepares to unveil the newly polished jewel in its crown.

So far Oldham Council has confirmed deals with Costa, Nandos and Gourmet Burger Kitchen with three other restaurants expected to be revealed soon as part of the eagerly awaited Grade II-listed development which includes an 800-seat, seven screen Odeon cinema.

Meanwhile, at the other end of Yorkshire Street, the new Metrolink Park and Ride facility is taking shape on land between Beaver Street and Wallshaw Street to replace the current commuter car park.

It's the first phase of the Princes Gate at Oldham Mumps development - which has been dubbed the "game-changer masterplan" for the town's eastern gateway - which is set to transform the area and signal an era of economic growth and prosperity. It is predicted to create over 700 new jobs and could generate up to £21 million a year for the local economy.

The current car park is set to be home to the scheme's anchor tenant, M&S - due in 2018 - alongside other retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, homes and the conversion of the historic Grade II listed former NatWest bank building into flexible commercial space.

A new retail/residential unit is also planned for the RSPCA/Roscoe Mill site, off Rose Bank, hosting a major supermarket tenant with 50 apartments above across three storeys.

Oldham's dramatically changing landscape, which also includes a new Independent Quarter and an Arts and Heritage Centre, is the most ambitious redevelopment for 30 years, and one which its hoped will secure it's reputation as a hub for retail and leisure.