Oldham Council joins the One Public Estate programme making it easier to sell off assets

Oldham Council is joining the Governments One Public Estate programme along with Manchester City, Trafford, Bury, Salford and Stockport. The rhetoric states that “the programme uses land and property released by government to boost economic growth and regeneration” In reality the Local Government Association (LGA) run the programme to encourage sharing services whilst Central Government green-lights selling assets of the local Government that are under Central Government control leading to more of the same centralisation of Council services around target wards. Just like regeneration & disproportionate spending is almost completely allocated to privileged wards bordering the Town Centre so will service locations as the Council sells off land and buildings within wards outside the Town Centre for house building to gain a capital receipt & additional Council Tax income. This is an act of homogenisation to hide the escalating cost’s associated with over-population & unsustainable fertility rates in a number of ever expanding Oldham wards whilst disregarding public opinion in sustainable areas as they have done at Foxdenton & Saddleworth. Town Centre assets such as the Civic Centre offices outside the tower block will be decommissioned & in all probability sold to provide student accommodation and ethnically targeted homes as per the GMCA Town Centres Plan