Economy, Place and Skills

Briefing Note – The Environmental Improvement and Regeneration Delegated Budget Sub Committee.

Improvement of Pedestrian Routes from the Shaw Metrolink Stop to the District Centre – request for funding.

Susan Meadwell Regeneration Officer October 2011 Royton, Shaw & Crompton DP

1. Introduction Metrolink will be arriving from Manchester to Mumps by 2012 and further stops to , including through the town centre by 2014. Officers are producing Public Realm schemes for the Oldham to Rochdale Line (ORL) and the Oldham Town Centre Line (OTC).

1.1 Along the ORL the key pedestrian routes from tram stops to District Centres, Business Districts, and local parks and amenities are being mapped with particular reference to quality of the route including access, signage, landscaping, paving, and street lighting linking in with Safe Routes and Secure by Design principles.

2. Metrolink Stops/Neighbourhoods ORL Neighbourhood Stops requiring investment are , Hollinwood, South (Coalshaw Green), Freehold, , and Shaw. Although Westwood is on the OTC line it is not included in town centre proposals as the stop is outside the Town Centre boundary. However, there is a need to fund some improvements adjacent to the Westwood stop as this is the first point of Tram entry onto Oldham’s highway. The temporary Mumps stop is not included due to the area requiring its own development brief and funding package.

3. Funding Link s The OTC and ORL schemes will link in with existing boroughwide opportunities for public realm and landscaping provided by TfGM, Local Transport Plan, Local Strategic Transport Fund, Street Lighting PFI, Canal and Moston Brook projects, and Oldham town centre public realm including the potential for ERDF and Arts Council (ACE), and a bid to Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) to fund improvements to our town centre Conservation Area.

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Economy, Place and Skills

4. Costs TfGM are not proposing any public realm works outside the planning boundary’s for the ORL Stops. However these points of entry into the borough’s neighbourhoods and District Centres are crucial for Oldham’s image and investment potential, pedestrian accessibility and all ORL Neighbourhood Stops require some level of investment.

4.1 Total ORL scheme costs are being prepared along with a prioritisation of key route improvements and expenditure as a phased approach. A contribution from the District Partnership is required for the first phase in Shaw.

4.2 Ideally £12,000 is required for Phase 1 in each of the seven ORL Neighbourhood Stops. This will fund priority works required on signage and landscaping improvements to the key routes in advance of the Tram arriving in Oldham.

Additional infrastructure funding to improve paving quality and significant landscaping will be identified and requested from other potential sources (see section 3 for potential funding sources).

A minimum £5040 is requested for Shaw district centre to update the existing maps, finger posts and provide planting in a key space along Beal Lane: Finger posts are heritage style to match existing.

3 x Finger signs £1270 1 x finger and post at the Stop £1280 6 x map reprints & artwork £1270 Including 1 x new map & artwork 1 x new map installation £740 Sign delivery £480

Subtotal £5040

Planting (street scene) £6960

Total £12,000

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