Spindles Town Centre

Our town centre regeneration skills are being utilised by another local authority as Oldham Council appoints the company as the main contractor for the Spindles Town Square redevelopment.

It follows similar transformation work in the North West in Rochdale and Stockport, and involves demolishing the former TJ Hughes unit as part of a wider masterplan to create a 450,000 square foot development that will be home to a new market, flexible offices, event space and heritage archive.

Councillor Arooj Shah, Oldham Council Leader, said:

“I am delighted to that Willmott Dixon was our construction partner for the redevelopment of Spindles. They share our ambition to make Oldham a place we can all be proud of, delivering over £10m in social value – all of which will benefit local people and businesses.”

Anthony Dillon, managing director for Willmott Dixon in the north, said:

“As an Oldham-based company, we are proud to continue to play our part in shaping the future of the town centre alongside Oldham Council. Our focus is all about how we can deliver brilliant buildings, transform lives, strengthen communities and enhance the environment so our towns are fit for future generations.”

Local social value

The company will also deliver a £10m social value package as part of its ‘Upskilling in the Community’ plan that aims to create local jobs, economic growth and social mobility. With Spindles, Willmott Dixon will help to create 16 local jobs with Willmott Dixon– two of which will go to long-term unemployed residents.

It is also committed to spending £9m with the local supply chain and over £500k with Oldham’s micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as carry out a full refurbishment of the Fitton Hill Community Facility and support local charities and organisations to make a difference in the community.

The demolition of TJ Hughes will pave the way for a brand-new split-level Tommyfield Market which will be developed with retail stalls linking to the shopping mall and a dedicated food and drink area linking to Parliament Square. It will also include an event space above the new market, a new archive centre and new co-working space for entrepreneurs and start-ups.

The project was procured through the Procure North West Framework and subject to approvals, the main building works is expected to get underway later this year with the full redevelopment scheduled to complete towards the end of 2024.