Decision details

The Cabinet considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which asked Members to consider endorsing the amended Oldham Town Centre Development Framework, following a public engagement exercise.

The Cabinet was informed that as part of the Council’s Creating a Better Place programme to transform Oldham Town Centre, including the delivery of 2,000 new homes, Cabinet had approved the appointment of Muse Place Ltd as our long-term Strategic Delivery Partner in June 2023, following an extensive OJEU compliant competitive procurement exercise.

Since that time, a Master Development Agreement (MDA) between the Council and Muse was entered into in September 2023 and a Detailed Business Plan for the partnership was approved by the Council in March 2024.

A key element of the Detailed Business Plan covered how the core Town Centre housing sites, including the Civic Centre, Former Leisure Centre and Former Magistrates Court will be taken forward. The first stage of this was the production of a draft Town Centre Development Framework, which would help to guide future planning and development proposals in the Town Centre.

A draft Town Centre Development Framework was consulted upon from 24^th July until 11^th September 2024 (seven weeks in total). The draft Development Framework itself and the full range of consultation material was available to be viewed on the Council’s website at: https://oldhamtownliving.co.uk.

The Town Centre Development Framework document had been refined, taking onboard the feedback received through the consultation, and this report was seeking the endorsement of that final Development Framework by the Cabinet.

Options/Alternatives considered:

a.    Option 1 – to endorse the finalised Oldham Town Centre Development Framework.

b.    Option 2 – to not endorse the finalised Oldham Town Centre Development Framework

The Development Framework provided a clear overview of what the council and partners have been doing, and continue to do, in and around the town centre, and how the proposed developments in the Oldham Town Living partnership with Muse will fit in this context and enhance the town centre. Having gone through a public consultation, in which there was significant engagement, and taken onboard the feedback from this engagement, the finalised Development Framework is now suitable for endorsement and use by the council and partners going forward.  Therefore, option 1 is recommended, and there are no disadvantages to this option.

Not endorsing the Development Framework would bring no advantages, as it leaves the Development Framework with no true status and proposals for the Town Centre with no overarching framework to work to (or for the council to hold partners to).  As such, option 2 is not recommended.

Option 1 is therefore the preferred option.

Resolved:

That the Cabinet endorses the Oldham Town Centre Development Framework.