Content

Purpose of the Report

a.   
Government announced the High Street Accelerator
Programme in September 2023 and invited
Oldham Council to submit an expression of interest in participating
due to the high level of vacant premises in the town centre.

b.   
The Department for
Levelling Up, Housing & Communities confirmed ten towns to
participate in a High Street Accelerator pilot. Our
High Street Nomination Form was completed for
Union Street and
Yorkshire Street as the pilot high streets for this funding
based on existing data, notably.

c.   
In 2019, Oldham town centre was
identified as one of the top 20 town centres in the country most ‘at risk’
from key consumer trends (Oldham Economic Review). 
Geographically, Oldham struggles with leakage of jobs, visitors and
spending to central Manchester and surrounding towns, and
employment has fallen consistently in recent years, leading to
vacant retail and eatery units; according to CACI Retail Footprint
Data, the flows to Oldham town centre
have retracted significantly and the spend profile for Oldham
reduced from £170m in 2010 to £156m in
2017.
 
Reasons for the
Recommendations
The purpose of this report is
to seek approval to accept Oldham’s pilot grant allocation of
£500,000 from the Green Spaces Fund held by Department for
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), and to approve the
programme of spend for the various projects it will
fund. 
 
Options/Alternatives Considered:
·        
Option 1: accept the
Green Spaces Fund grant of £500,000 from DLUHC, progress the
proposed projects detailed in this report and expend the grant
monies as detailed in the funding breakdown.
·        
Option 2: do not
accept the Green Spaces Fund grant of £500,000 from DLUHC and
do not progress the proposed projects detailed in this
report.
 
The
preferred option was option 1.
 
Decision

1.   
To accept an external
Green Spaces Fund grant and to expend the funding on progressing
the proposed High Street Accelerator programme projects.

2.   
To delegate authority
to the Section 151 Officer to finalise and formalise a Memorandum
of Understanding with DLUHC with regard
to the Green Spaces Fund grant funding arrangements and any
other documentation required by DLUHC.

3.   
To delegate authority
to the Borough Solicitor to carry out all necessary legal
formalities.