Major project about to open

A major project ‘unlike anything else in the UK’ is about to open in the heart of Oldham after nearly £13m was spent transforming the area.

The whole Northern Roots site covers around 160 acres to the south of Oldham town centre next to Alexandra Park. Part of the site was once an old Roman road, the Brook Mill used to dominate the area, and for around five decades, it was used landfill.

Now it is entering a new chapter of its history with the area’s new urban farm, considered the largest in the UK, preparing to open its doors next week on September 19 for the first time. The project has been about five years in the making and the LDRS was given a tour to see what people can expect.

People will enter through a woodland walkway lit during the darker winter months where people can ‘leave the world behind them and have this really magical experience’. The woodland then opens out into a large green space with views of the Peak District and the urban farm at the other end.

A large visitor centre which will offer meeting spaces, a café run by acclaimed chef Mary-Ellen McTague, a large play area, as well as the urban farm itself. There will also be a forestry skills centre on site.

The farm covers around four acres and will grow organic fruit, vegetables, and herbs to be used in the site’s kitchen and café. Kimo Morrison, from the Northern Roots charity that will operate the site in partnership with Oldham council, said food would be sold at a price point that would be affordable for families.

By 2030, Northern Roots aims to welcome up to 300,000 visitors, host 4,500 school visits, and deliver more than 300 nature-based health prescriptions every year. They also plan to create 150 volunteering placements, alongside training, apprenticeship and employment opportunities for people living in Oldham.

Accessibility is a key promise from those behind the project with efforts made to make sure the visitor centre is accessible as well as across the site. The café will also offer food that is halal.

Despite the site’s industrial history, Kimo made clear extensive testing has taken place to make sure the land is safe for growing food. The urban farm also does not sit on what was the tip but was previously used for industrial purposes.

Kimo said the scheme would become an ‘anchor project’ for Oldham looking to bring people in from outside the borough, as well as bring ‘hope and optimism’ by ‘creating opportunities for the widest amount of people’.

She told the LDRS: “What sets it apart is there isn’t a project like it anywhere else in the UK. You do not get this extraordinary project combining people, planet, and place – the environment, the jobs, the opportunities, and the training.

“It’s a very unusual model and that is very purposeful. Part of the work has been to create the model, test it, and set a blueprint that we know can work and that blueprint can be lifted and transferred to other industrial towns and cities across the UK.

“It’s possible to transform these forgotten places into something really beautiful. A lot of Northern towns were left behind when the industry shipped out so what can we do with these places in the 21st century?

“This is a big ambitious project with many moving parts but opening our doors on the 19th, that is bringing on the next chapter and it will always evolve. That is the intention.”

On September 19, the site will be open from 12pm to 4pm offering food from the café, an outdoor BBQ, food stalls, a DJ and live music, face painting and a wide range of activities. It will be free to enter.

Going forward, the site will be open four days a week Thursday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm. The project forms part of Oldham council’s plans to regenerate Oldham through its new Mayoral Development Corporation.