Decision details

Submission of Levelling Up Fund Round 2 Expressions
of Interest applications for the two parliamentary
constituencies of Oldham East and Saddleworth and,
Oldham West and Royton.

RESOLVED - That:
Option 2: Submit 2 x Levelling Up Round 2 bids for
Oldham Green Innovation and Technology Network
and Oldham Creative Improvement District

Option 1: Do not submit a EOI for LUF. This option
means that Oldham will receive no funds from the
Levelling Up Fund and would reflect negatively upon
the Council and the perception of the level of ambitions
of the town.
Option 2 - Option 2: Submit 2 x Levelling Up Round 2 bids for
Oldham Green Innovation and Technology Network
and Oldham Creative Improvement District.

Option 1: Do not submit a EOI for LUF. This option
means that Oldham will receive no funds from the
Levelling Up Fund and would reflect negatively upon
the Council and the perception of the level of ambitions
of the town.

Significant community consultation, awareness and
insight has been undertaken to help shape and inform
potential opportunities for Levelling Up linked to
previous bidding applications for Future High Street
Fund and Town Deal. This has included keys
stakeholders, businesses, visitors, members and local
communities in various different forums, methods and
opportunities.
The Oldham Big Town Centre Conversation engaged
thousands of local residents, businesses and visitors to
town and district centres. This allowed various projects
and community discussions at Meet the Leader events
around the borough
Building on the feedback, evidence and comments
from the consultation and engagement exercises,
officers have reviewed the potential opportunities for
LUF2 to align with eligibility criteria, investment themes
and deliverability in the programme spending timelines.
Further evidence has been reviewed through regional
policy and strategy alignment (such as GM Strategy,
GM Innovation, GM 2040, GM Places for Everyone
Spatial Framework, etc) together with local plans and
priorities such as, Oldham’s emerging Local Plan
(especially feedback from the issues and options
consultation), the Town Centre Development
Prospectus, the emerging priorities for the refreshed
Oldham Model and new corporate plan, Creating a
Better Place Programme, Local Industries Strategy and
the Creative Improvement District.