Oldham Council is seeking approval for the formation of a new Foxdenton Joint Venture partnership. According to the council “Providing the approval would bring forward the delivery of the Foxdenton Employment Area and ensure that the Council had control over the delivery of the development. It would also result in the Council realising a substantial capital receipt for its landholdings.” The council of course ignores the wishes of residents who don’t want the atypical area they live in to become another typical minimum wage over-populated slum area with jobs and housing targeted and populated by the councils primary voting demographics. Oldham has the lowest wage levels and lowest levels of educated adults in Greater Manchester; what does it gain from yet another low paid unskilled warehouse park? The question has to be asked whether this inner town oasis is being sacrificed so the councils “substantial capital receipt” from the sale of land and business rates receipts on and around Foxdenton Lane can be used to bankroll the councils secretive funding of the Old Town Hall Cinema project? It remains certain that the councils capital gains will not be invested back into Foxdenton but will at best be disproportionately spent on housing & amenities, and not promoting educational attainment & improving quality employment opportunities, in the areas the current councils primary voting demographics live.
The picture below was the winner of Oldham Councils Bloom & Grow competition 2013 the area is known locally as buttercup field but will be more familiar to Oldham residents as the proposed location of the new housing development associated with the Foxdenton Business Park. Perhaps in 2014 Oldham Council should run a Bloom & Demolish competition.
Oldham in Bloom winner