Part of the plans to create the 160-acre Northern Roots have been approved following a meeting of Oldham Council's planning committee on Wednesday, August 24.

Plans for a bike hub and cycling trails were approved as the Northern Roots site plans to become the UK's largest urban farm and eco-park.

The plans were approved unanimously at the meeting of the planning committee, while a separate application to develop a visitor centre will be decided on at a later date.

Facilities of the bike hub and trails will include a pump track, a skills area, a bike hire station with a shop and cafe, a bike repair workshop, toilets, showers and bike wash.

The Hub will provide a training ground for cyclists to develop and improve their riding and will offer a starting point for riders using the mountain bike trails extending across the 160-acre site.

Riders will be able to get spares and servicing for their bike within easy reach of the trails, as well as being able to get a coffee and warm food, wash their bike and get changed indoors.

Northern Roots will begin the process of looking for an experienced operator to run the facility later in the year.

Cllr Abdul Jabbar, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon, said: “The bike hub and trails will be a fantastic new addition to the site, giving people the chance to explore it on two wheels – great for your physical and mental health.

“Northern Roots has so much potential to create new opportunities for Oldhamers and put our borough on the map.

"It’s incredibly exciting to see the vision for this hidden gem start to come to life."

A separate 'hybrid' application, which focuses on the northern third of the 160-acre site, had been recommended for approval but will be determined at a future meeting of the planning committee.

This application seeks permission to develop a visitor centre and a learning centre.

The visitor centre will include a café, shop, exhibition and meeting space, while the learning centre, forestry depot, market garden, solar array and outdoor swimming pond.

The visitor centre and learning centre have been designed by JDDK Architects in cooperation with local communities, and incorporate green roofs, habitat walls, renewable energy sources, and sustainable materials.

Four existing football pitches would be given a much-needed refurbishment, with two of them relocating next to Glodwick Cricket Club, as part of the plans. Access improvements to the Northern Roots site are also proposed alongside new car parking areas.