New town centre climbing facility set for approval

A huge new indoor rock climbing centre is set to be built in the heart of Oldham town centre.

The centre – which would be the first of its kind in the borough – would offer people the opportunity to enjoy bouldering, clip-in climbing and lead climbing.

At Wednesday night’s planning meeting, councillors are being recommended to approve the plans, which officers say would ‘enhance’ the town centre.

It would be built on land formerly occupied by the All Nations Church on Egerton Street, which has now been demolished. 

The new building would cover more than 1,800 sqm next to the Mahdlo Youth Zone, and near to Oldham Coliseum theatre.

According to the planning report, 12 trees would be felled if the development were to go ahead. 

However a condition of approval would be for the applicant, the Stoller Charitable Trust, to enter into a Section 106 obligation to pay towards delivering 36 replacement trees off-site.

Just one person has objected over concerns about traffic and parking issues.

Another representation does not object to the proposal but stresses that people visiting the climbing centre would not be allowed to use the neighbouring GP surgery car park.

Officers say the principle of the development is ‘acceptable’ and is ‘to be encouraged’.

Outlining the recommendation to approve, they state: “The proposed development would deliver a major recreational development to support and enhance the offer in Oldham town centre and would represent sustainable development given the location close to public transport and economic benefits in the form of investment and on-going employment.”

The three storey building would be specially designed to cope with the different levels of the land, with three storeys at the lower end of the site and one storey at the upper end.

There would be climbing facilities, retail facilities, a cafe and viewing areas, toilets and changing rooms and staff amenities.

The mezzanine floor would consist of organised spaces for climbing events, with the lower ground floor used solely for the lead climbing area.

The developer aims to make the purpose-built centre able to cater to people of ‘all ages’.

There are plans for two accessible parking bays, however no other parking will be proposed due to the number of car parks that already surround the site.

But according to the planning report, the council’s highway engineer does not anticipate a significant increase in traffic as a result of the development, or that there would be an ‘unacceptable impact’ on highway safety. 

The design of the futuristic building is inspired by the Peak District and local stone ‘gritstone’ in particular, according to the architects behind it.

Documents submitted to the town hall by AEW Architects & Designers Ltd state that gritstone is a hard, coarse-grained sandstone, ‘relished by English rock climbers for its deep fractures and coarse face’.

A viewing area is proposed to look out over the climbing area which would be directly accessible from the entrance, next to the reception and cafe in order to provide views throughout the building for non-climbers.

It would also include a soft play area for kids, and party rooms.