Practical proposed steps for Oldham.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
Northern Roots creates a place to use now
The first phase of Northern Roots is open.
Proposed response: Publish accessible routes, transport and opening details.
Evidence
Who could lead: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Publish accessible routes, transport and opening details.
- Over the next few years
Offer activities with schools and local groups.
- Over the longer term
Track repeat use and upkeep of paths and habitats.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Northern Roots first phase: First phase open.
Measure: Participation and accessibility feedback.
Trade-off: Visitor activity must protect the green space.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Northern Roots first phase →
Proposal
Some high-street premises still need improvement
The shopfront grant programme targets improvements to town-centre premises.
Proposed response: Show which premises and works are eligible.
Evidence
Who could lead: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Show which premises and works are eligible.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise visible repairs and access barriers.
- Over the longer term
Check whether improved units remain occupied.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Town-centre shopfront grants: Grant round announced; applications may have closed.
Measure: Completed improvements and sustained occupancy.
Trade-off: Grants should not displace normal maintenance by owners.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Town-centre shopfront grants →
Proposal
Connect venues to everyday town-centre life
The Loom and the restored J. R. Clynes Building offer different cultural uses.
Proposed response: Coordinate a clear public programme across both venues.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2
Who could lead: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Coordinate a clear public programme across both venues.
- Over the next few years
Offer affordable space to local organisations.
- Over the longer term
Measure local attendance and nearby business use.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The Loom event space: Opened; J. R. Clynes Building restoration: Restoration completed.
Measure: Local bookings and repeat attendance.
Trade-off: An events programme needs ongoing staff and funding.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
The Loom event space →
J. R. Clynes Building restoration →
Proposal
Keep new facilities usable after opening day
New venues and the green-space visitor facilities bring ongoing operating responsibilities. This is a forward risk, not a finding of financial failure.
Proposed response: Publish maintenance and operating responsibilities.
Evidence 1 · Evidence 2
Who could lead: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council.
- Start now
Publish maintenance and operating responsibilities.
- Over the next few years
Review income and public access together.
- Over the longer term
Plan repair funding before major equipment wears out.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The Loom event space: Opened; Northern Roots first phase: First phase open.
Measure: Operating costs, closures and affordable access.
Trade-off: Commercial income can conflict with low-cost community use.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
The Loom event space →
Northern Roots first phase →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £942 a month (August 2026) in Oldham council area. This is £517 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.5% in Chadderton North to 25.2% in St Mary's — a gap of 14.7 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in St Mary's and Chadderton North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £942 a month (August 2026) in Oldham council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 10.5% in Chadderton North to 25.2% in St Mary's — a gap of 14.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 20 of 20 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
16% of people in Oldham council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 7.6% in Coldhurst to 27.1% in Saddleworth South — a gap of 19.5 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Saddleworth South and Coldhurst; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 16% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 7.6% in Coldhurst to 27.1% in Saddleworth South — a gap of 19.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 20 of 20 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
6.3% of people reported bad or very bad health in Oldham council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.1% in Chadderton North to 7.7% in Alexandra — a gap of 3.5 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Alexandra and Chadderton North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 6.3% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.1% in Chadderton North to 7.7% in Alexandra — a gap of 3.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 20 of 20 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
24.6% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Oldham council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.3% in Saddleworth North to 36.5% in Coldhurst — a gap of 24.2 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Coldhurst and Saddleworth North; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 24.6% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 12.3% in Saddleworth North to 36.5% in Coldhurst — a gap of 24.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 20 of 20 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
The Loom event space →
Town-centre shopfront grants →
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
4 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
The Loom event space →
J. R. Clynes Building restoration →
Northern Roots first phase →
Town-centre shopfront grants →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.9% in Saddleworth North to 40.5% in Coldhurst — a gap of 29.6 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Coldhurst, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 10.9% in Saddleworth North to 40.5% in Coldhurst — a gap of 29.6 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 20 of 20 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
The Loom event space →
J. R. Clynes Building restoration →
Northern Roots first phase →
