Today, the Oldham SportsTown project officially launches. As part of the Community Regeneration Partnership, the SportsTown masterplan represents a huge investment into local sports and educational pathways centred at Boundary Park.
The £70 million masterplan, which covers a frootprint the size of the Etihad Stadium, will be a multi-sports centre of excellence from grassroots sport for all the way up to elite performance Further & Higher Education sports academies.
The existing community facilities will undertake transformational growth through the new 3,000 seat stand, university centre, wellness suite, 4,000 seat multi-sport arena, outdoor 3G sports domes, and upgraded grass pitches.
Around 25,000 residents from the northern Greater Manchester will use the SportsTown facilities once per week, with 60% being Oldham residents and the majority being young people; using a non-traditional university strategy based on community family engagement through education and sport.
At the general election, I prioritised community ownership for local people in Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton. The work we have done locally to secure Boundary Park as an Asset of Community Value, has created a foundation to build upon, resulting in stable ownership for Latics, a ground sharing deal between them and Oldham RLFC to secure the future of the ground, and now the launch of SportsTown in and around the venue.
The ownership of the club by the Rothwell family and the energy and dedication they have injected into the project, aided faithfully by the leadership of CEO Darren Royle has breathed new life into the club and stadium.
In addition to this fantastic scheme there are also projects to support grassroots and community sports facilities which I am determined to see get the support and funding they need. The need and demand in the community is clear, and in both AVRO FC at Limeside and West End pitches at Coldhurst there is huge opportunity we have got to get behind.
There’s a bright future ahead!
Jim McMahon OBE MP 