George Dew plc and Cramond Properties are proposing a £30m redevelopment of a 6.3-acre site in the centre of Oldham — including the demolition of the St Peter shopping precinct which was developed in the 1960s by Harry Hyam’s Oldham Estate.
The existing 190,000-sq ft precinct — known locally as Oldham’s “Windy City White Elephant” — would make way for a new centre which would also spread into nearby Water Street and George Street. It would have a total area of 440,000 sq ft — 300,000 sq ft of retail space; malls; a food court; public house/wine bar; a “sky platform” conservatory and parking for 780 cars.
The proposals follow a council-sponsored report on the shopping and traffic needs of Oldham town centre, conducted last year by Buchanans and Healey & Baker.
The development partners have engaged arhitects Bernard Engle Partnership to prepare designs which have met with an initially favourable response from Oldham Council.
Council leader John Battye commented: “It would be nice to see the scheme open by 1990 but we should temper our optimism by bearing in mind the many problems we still have to overcome.”
These include land-ownership issues around the St Peter’s precinct and provisions for the precinct’s existing tenants.
However, the present centre is felt to be “beyond redemption” and the council are ready to consider various proposals.
The Cramond/Dew partnership have Hillier Parker and W H Robinson as development consultants and say of their proposals: “It is essential that the new centre is not only a commercial success with all the benefits that will accrue but, equally, that it is a vital and natural component of the living town.”
Should the council give the scheme the green light, the development partners would then enter into negotiations with Oldham Estate, who have acknowledged the need for the precinct’s redevelopment.
