Greater Manchester town is set to become more sustainable

‘Accessible Oldham’, which was proposed by Oldham Council, is set to transform the towns streets by making them safer for pedestrians and cyclists.  

Proposed in January 2022, ‘Accessible Oldham’ is due to update the streets and public areas across the town with a specific focus on Henshaw Street and Albion Street.  

Council members are planting trees, installing new seating, street art and bike parking to make the areas more vibrant.   

As well as making the town visually attractive, Oldham Council is also updating roads and footpaths by recycling existing materials to create an even surface to provide a comfortable and safe area for locals.     

Sustainable drainage has also been incorporated into the new rain gardens created on the two streets, with the construction of the square on Curzon Street still taking shape.   

Funded by the Government Future High Streets Fund, ‘Accessible Oldham’ is part of The Creating a Better Place programme with projects including the development of Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre and bringing the public library back into use.      

Cllr Amanda Chadderton, Leader of Oldham Council said: ‘The Accessible Oldham project is already making a huge difference to the look and feel of our town centre – it feels more modern and already looks more inviting to residents and visitors.          

‘These improvements will make it so much easier for people to walk and cycle and get out and about more on foot and bike, reducing reliance on cars – which is great news for our own health and also for the planet.

‘We want Oldham to be the greenest borough in Greater Manchester and our Green New Deal aims to make the council carbon neutral by 2025 and the whole borough by 2030.’    

The work currently being completed on Henshaw Street and Albion Street is expected to be finished by 2023.  

Photo by Joe Cleary