£1 million for Unions Street’s Prudential building!

I’m delighted that the historic Prudential Building on Union Street is set to receive £1 million in funding from the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

This funding will allow Oldham Council to carry out urgent repairs to the vacant building, tackling structural issues, damaged windows, water ingress and roof damage to protect it from further deterioration.

Just as importantly, work will take place to explore options for a sustainable future use, helping to bring this important part of Oldham’s heritage back into productive use.

Our historic buildings are an important part of what makes Oldham special, the mark at moment when Oldham was at the height of its economic might as the ‘new road’ was built with grand new commercial and municipal buildings lining its route.

Formal government apology historic on the burial and cremation of stillborn babies without their parents’ involvement

On behalf of the British state, this government has issued a formal apology on behalf of the British state to families affected by the historic burial and cremation of stillborn babies without their parents’ involvement.

This is an issue that has caused immense pain for families, including here in Oldham and I know how important it is that their experiences are acknowledged and their voices heard.

As one of the relevant government ministers and as MP for Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton, I pay tribute to the families and campaigners who have worked tirelessly to secure answers and recognition.

Alongside the apology, we are taking practical steps to help families access records and get the support they need.

We cannot undo the hurt or promise every family the answers they deserve, but we can listen, act with compassion and do everything possible to support them.

📄See the letter in-full here.

My objection to the Oaklands House proposal

I have formally objected to the planning application to change the use of Oaklands House in Royton to 29-bedroom supported accommodation.

I have been contacted by a significant number of concerned local residents and the strength of feeling is clear from the shear number of objections submitted to Oldham Council. I share those concerns and have made my position clear as the local MP in the letter attached.

My objection is not to the principle of providing supported accommodation for vulnerable adults but about whether this particular proposal has demonstrated that it can operate safely, effectively and without an unacceptable impact on the surrounding residential community.

There are serious questions that remain unanswered, including the affect on neighbouring homes, the pressure on parking around Manor Drive and Turf Lane, the robustness of the management arrangements, and the level of support available overnight.

These are important issues that cannot simply be addressed by assurances in a management plan. Residents deserve confidence that their concerns have been properly considered and that the impact on their neighbourhood has been fully assessed.

Therefore, I have asked Oldham Council to refuse the application. I want to ensure the voices of Royton residents are heard in decisions that affect their homes and their community.

Visit to Holy Rosary Church

As part of our campaign to bring Holy Rosary Church in Fitton Hill back into community use, I visited the building again alongside Kim from Spark, Mark, CEO of First Choice Homes Oldham, Lydia from the Save Britain’s Heritage campaign, Ottillia from the Oldham Mural & Cultural Heritage Trust, and colleagues from Vistry, as we continue to push forward our campaign to save this important part of our local heritage.

At the heart of our campaign is not just saving a building, but protecting the history, memories and community spirit it represents. Crucially, we are also trying to secure urgent roof repairs to protect the rare Grade II-listed George Mayer Marton mural inside from water damage over the coming winter. The roof needs urgent attention to stop the water ingress.

I was delighted to have obtained the original artist’s scale design of the mural from 1955 — a piece of history in its own right. I’ll get this framed, and once the building reopens, I’d love to see it displayed inside.

The sketch is particularly important because it shows what lies beneath the white paint. When test patches of the white emulsion paint were removed, they revealed that the original artist’s work remains in place. We don’t yet know whether there is damage elsewhere, but it’s exciting to think that the mural could potentially be restored to its original glory.

There is still a lot to do, but it was encouraging to bring everyone together again, share ideas and maintain the momentum behind our campaign. I hope that, when we successfully reopen the building, we’ll be able to frame and display the original sketch inside for the community to enjoy.

Buildings matter, not just for the bricks and mortar, but because of the social story they tell, and the importance that places for people to come together hold for the future.

Oldham Business Awards 2026

A huge congratulations to everyone recognised at this year’s Oldham Business Awards.

There is so much to be proud of in our business community – from established family-owned institutions that have been here for generations, to new entrepreneurs starting out and organisations making a real difference in our communities.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners and to everyone who was shortlisted. Your success is a reflection of the hard work, determination and ambition that exists right across Oldham.

A particular well done to First Choice Homes Oldham on an impressive hat-trick of awards,.

Oldham at its best with local people supporting local people, creating jobs, investing in our communities, and helping our borough thrive.

Well done to everyone involved 👏

https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/26607522.full-list-winners-oldham-business-awards-2026

Future of the former Harry’s Bar

I have raised with the council my concern that the press has reported a road closure order intended to facilitate the demolition of the former Harry’s Bar.

To be clear the premises is not currently scheduled for demolition. After months of work including with Save Britain’s Heritage and the council itself the authority has agreed to hold off the originally proposed demolition to allow time to come up with a viable proposal to bring it back into use.

In fact a meeting is taking place later this week with the council and the Oldham Coliseum Theatre inside the building to discuss what might be needed to bring it back into use.

The building was originally purchased using the Community Regeneration Partnership funding pot provided by the UK Government to Oldham Council and it’s important that there is community support for its reuse.

This doesn’t rule out it’s eventual loss, the fight is still very much real, but the council deserve credit for allowing us time to organise, as we are also doing nearby at the Holy Rosary Church where we have protected it from demolition thanks to the support of the Catholic Church and local organisations.

Oldham must better respect and preserve its “red brick” industrial heritage and value how important buildings like this are to the social story of a proud working class borough.

Too many have been allowed to fall into disrepair or fallen victim of developers who care more about cutting costs and extracting profit than they do about showing respect and care for the borough they operate in. Unless we have an end to end plan to deal with this through the planning system, licensing, and targeted investment we are facing a losing battle.

Thanks to the English Devolution and Community Act I had the privilege of leading, new powers now exist to give greater legal protection to important community assets like these, including the community right to buy. But powers had to go hand in hand with resource, and so I was delighted as a Minister to recently announce a new national £210m community fund which includes £125m for derelict buildings, £65m for community right to buy to purchase and upgrade community assets, and £10m for High Street Rental Auctions (to force the sale of long term empty shops). This is supported by £10m for Co-operative Development so that the activity which supports these important buildings is also secured.

This is much bigger than an old pub, it is a symbol of a towns heritage unappreciated and ripped apart as a result.

https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/news/26616789.future-former-harrys-bar-oldham-remains-undecided

New lifts coming to Hollinwood & Freehold tram stops

I’m pleased to see work getting underway to replace the lifts at Hollinwood and Freehold tram stops as part of the £1.7 million Metrolink Lift Renewals Programme.

Issues with the lifts at both stops have been raised with me by constituents through my casework, so it’s good to see these concerns being acted on and improvements being delivered for local passengers.

From Monday 5 October, the following lifts will be replaced:

✅ at the Rochdale-bound platform at Freehold tram stop

✅ at the Rochdale-bound platform at Hollinwood tram stop

While the works are taking place, passengers can use the lifts on the Manchester-bound platforms to access the stops.

Labour government funding focused on local priorities – that’s why we brought local public control to our transport network here in Greater Manchester.

You can find more information about the works here at https://tfgm.com/lift-replacement.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to raise these issues with me. I’ll continue to make sure local concerns are heard and followed up.

Consultation on Fireworks closes on Wednesday!

A reminder that the Government’s consultation on nuisance fireworks closes at 23:59 this Wednesday.

I’ve heard repeated concerns from many residents about the distress caused by fireworks being set off illegally late at night and throughout the year across Oldham.

The consultation includes proposals to restrict the loudest fireworks to professional displays and tackle the problems caused by their misuse.

This doesn’t replace the need for local enforcement by Trading Standards, Community Safety and the police, but it could remove some of the most intrusive elements of fireworks.

If you have been affected, or have a view on the proposals, please take a few minutes to respond before the deadline.

Your experience matters and will help shape what happens next.

https://ditresearch.eu.qualtrics.com/…/SV_eg0jcixPsRnv1NY