Oldham Council secures Towns Fund investment with support from Mott MacDonald

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council has been selected to receive £24.4M as part of the UK Government’s Towns Fund.

Working closely with the council and its delivery partners, Mott MacDonald supported the development of Oldham’s Town Investment Plan (TIP) as part of the bid. Setting out the council’s vision, the TIP showed the huge opportunity in Oldham, the clear need for investment as well as the benefits it would bring to local people.

The funding will support the council’s overarching Creating a Better Place strategic framework, which will see the construction of quality homes; provide opportunities for local people to learn and gain skills; grow local businesses and create jobs; and improve residents’ life chances, health and wellbeing, as well as ensure sustainability is embedded into the process.

It was also recently confirmed that Oldham would receive nearly £11m as part of the UK government’s Future High Streets Fund, having worked with Mott MacDonald to submit a bid in the summer of 2020. The consultancy helped Oldham Council develop a business case submission, setting out the vision, detailing costs, delivery arrangements, and benefits.

“Our role was about supporting Oldham’s ambition and vision for their town centre and ensuring the business case development work was realistic and deliverable,” said Stephen Cox, head of economics and business cases at Mott MacDonald.

“The Council’s ambition for the people of Oldham was fantastic to see, and it was up to us to ensure that the projects that were identified and endorsed by the Town Deal Board, were developed into a deliverable and practical investment proposition to government. Understandably, the government must make sure that they are getting value for money for all Towns Fund and Future High Street Fund schemes and we’re proud to have been able to show that with Oldham.”

The Future High Street Fund grant will be used to create a new food market and casual dining space at the Old Town Hall’s Egyptian Room, develop infrastructure for sustainable travel through Accessible Oldham and create space for small enterprises within the town centre.

The economics unit at Mott MacDonald is advising dozens of local authorities up and down the country and helping secure millions of pounds in grants and investment from the UK Government, including from the newly announced Levelling Up Fund and the Community Renewal Fund. Since 2019, Mott MacDonald has helped secure £223M from these funds for 23 local authorities.