Oldham Reporter from Saturday, August 30th, 2025

Oldham town centre is dead. At least, that’s what comments online seem to say. Scroll down under any story or Facebook post regarding what was once the borough’s thriving centrepoint, and you’ll quickly stumble upon a disgruntled resident claiming the town is ‘beyond saving’ or that they’ve ‘not been there for years’.

During the day, the Empire Suite in Oldham looks unassuming. Overshadowed by a busy mechanics garage on the industrial end of a street of terraced houses, the wedding venue sits back from the road, shutters down, quiet.