A £20 million Levelling Up grant will be used to create three eco-friendly projects in Oldham including a learning centre at Northern Roots, a business centre, and a path to connect areas for pedestrians and cyclists.

The funding was formally accepted by the borough's cabinet at a meeting on Monday, March 20.

Back in January the borough was awarded the cash boost after a successful bid, which covered the Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency, was put forward last summer to support the borough’s ‘green new deal’ commitment to being carbon neutral by 2030.

The Levelling Up cash will fund three Greener Oldham projects.

The three projects are:

  • Green Shoots Centre, a new business centre to support environment technology start-ups, based at Rhodes Bank. The centre will be net zero, powered by renewable energy including a mine water system.
     
  • Northern Roots Learning Centre, an education facility based at the Northern Roots project, which will provide training linked to green and sustainable skills, supporting the Green Shoots Centre.
     
  • Oldham Greenway a new path for pedestrians and cyclists that will link the Green Shoots Centre, the new town centre Jubilee Park, and the Northern Roots site.

Town hall bosses say the learning centre at Northern Roots, the project that will become the UK’s largest urban farm on land at Snipe Clough near Alexandra Park, will also be used as an educational centre to help strengthen environmental skills through vocational courses.

The Oldham Times: View of the classrooms from the central Northern Roots Learning Centre outdoor classroomView of the classrooms from the central Northern Roots Learning Centre outdoor classroom (Image: Oldham Council)

Council leader Amanda Chadderton said the successful bid “proves” the government has confidence in the council’s regeneration plans.

She added: “Towns like ours have been hit hardest by austerity, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. But despite this we remain one of the most entrepreneurial towns in the UK.

“We have a clear direction for Oldham and have worked with partners to identify exciting projects as part of our Levelling Up bids, which will help us to build a better borough and future.

“So much work has gone into this successful bid, and it’s great to see that our ambition has been recognised and invested in.”

The second half of the council’s bid to the Levelling Up fund, for another £20m to develop a "creative improvement district" in the town, including refurbishment of the Lyceum Theatre and Masonic Hall and the reopening the Old Library, was not successful.