Mayoral Development Corporation to Deliver SportsTown

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has launched a public consultation about a Mayoral Development Corporation for Oldham which would help deliver SportsTown, amongst other regional priorities in Oldham. You have until 1 July to respond to the consultation which is made up of nine short questions. 

We encourage all Latics supporters to get involved and share your views.

What is a Mayoral Development Corporation?

A Mayoral Development Corporation is a public body set up by a regional mayor to deliver long-term development or regeneration in a specific area. They have powers to buy land, by agreement or compulsorily, and provide infrastructure. They can also take responsibility for planning applications and the local plan from the local council.

How would a Mayoral Development Corporation help deliver SportsTown?

The Mayoral Development Corporation wouldn’t need to use its land or infrastructure powers to help deliver SportsTown because the land is already solely owned by the Rothwell family and infrastructure already exists. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority isn’t proposing that it take over planning from Oldham Council either.

Instead, the Mayoral Development Corporation would be a vehicle for accessing funding that has been devolved to Greater Manchester and attracting further private investment.

How does SportsTown help the football club?

SportsTown will deliver a wide range of benefits for the town of Oldham primarily. However, Oldham Athletic will benefit from its involvement in the project too, with many of the education facilities also able to be used during matchdays. This could help make the club more financially sustainable long-term.

Will Oldham Council be giving council tax money to Oldham Athletic AFC?

Government grant money won’t be paid to the Club and wouldn’t come from the council so isn’t coming from people’s council tax. Like the £5m that paid for the upgrades to Little Wembley and the Joe Royle Stand, it would be money from central government that would otherwise be spent in another part of the country/Greater Manchester. 

When will a final decision be made?

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority will consider the survey responses and we expect them to make a final decision in September, at which point they would notify government so the body can be set up.

What other examples of Mayoral Development Corporations are there?

The longest-standing Mayoral Development Corporations are in London – the London Legacy Development Corporation which was set up in 2012 to coordinate the regeneration of the areas around the Olympic Park; and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation which was set up to regenerate the area around the planned HS2 rail station at Old Oak Common. These are more traditional development corporations which focus on assembling land, providing infrastructure, and using planning powers.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has set up a number of Mayoral Development Corporations in recent years. Like the Oldham proposal, none of them have taken responsibility for planning or focused on land or infrastructure. The original Greater Manchester Mayoral Development Corporation was in Stockport and regenerated the west side of its town centre near the train station – it has since been expanded. A Mayoral Development Corporation has also been established to regenerate the area around Old Trafford.