A controversial plan to remove car parking spaces in Oldham is under way.

More than 30 parking spaces in the Civic Centre car park have made way for a pop-up theatre, despite concerns raised at an Oldham Council planning committee meeting just three days earlier.

The theatre is being delivered by the company behind Oldham Coliseum and work has begun on the erection of the 167-seater stage - dubbed Coliseum at the Roundabout.

A construction worker on site told The Oldham Times that the pop-up theatre will be completed on Tuesday, four days on from when it started - and six days since it was approved on Wednesday (April 17).

The Oldham Times: More than 30 spaces on the Civic Centre car park has made way for a pop-up theatreMore than 30 spaces on the Civic Centre car park has made way for a pop-up theatre (Image: Newsquest)

Once erected the opening set will take place on Thursday (April 25) and live performances and activities will continue until July 14.

The plans, however, mean the town centre has lost out on 35 parking spaces, which includes two electric vehicle charging bays and two disabled spots.

At the meeting, Cllr Angela Cosgrove questioned whether the disabled bays would be replaced, which highways officer, Wendy Moorhouse, said would not be the case.

Mrs Moorhouse said a suitable number of disabled spaces remain in the town centre, but that the nearest ones at The Tommyfield pub were not fully accessible, like the ones at the southeast corner of the Civic Centre car park.

The Oldham Times: Work has began on the pop-up theatre - which will be completed tomorrowWork has began on the pop-up theatre - which will be completed tomorrow (Image: Newsquest)

Cllr Cosgrove said: "My issue is these ones we're losing are fully accessible, so if you're in a wheelchair you can take the wheelchair to the side of the car.

"The ones at The Tommyfield you can't, you have to leave somebody in the middle of the road, so that's my concern that we're not replacing [them] with fully accessible bays."

Head of planning at the council, Peter Richards, acknowledged there would be an impact but that the spaces would only be out of action temporarily and said the scheme would bring wider benefits.

The proposal was approved unanimously by all 11 members.

Coliseum at the Roundabout will host a variety of events over the coming months, many of which will be free to attend.