Demolition of the old Council Depot site on Wellington Street, Chadderton commenced this week to clear the way for Oldham Council’s new multi-million pound flagship health and well-being centre.
The demolition of the existing buildings on the site and clearance of the resulting rubble is being carried out by Carillion will take around two months to complete. It is expected that construction of the centre will begin shortly afterwards – bringing the reality of Oldham’s first purpose built Health and Well-Being Centre even closer for the people of Chadderton and the surrounding areas of Oldham.
The new well being centre in Chadderton, will be the first of its kind in Oldham, bringing together a range of organisations including the police and key council services under one roof to deliver joined up services at a local level.
The development of the Chadderton health and well being centre project is being led by Oldham Council and is being developed as part of the LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust) initiative in Oldham by the borough’s LIFTco, Community 1st Oldham Limited. Following a successful tender, Carillion Building has also been appointed to undertake the building works for the Chadderton health and well-being centre.
David Jones, Leader of Oldham Council said “This project as a very positive investment that will have a profoundly positive impact on the people of Chadderton and surrounding areas. It demonstrates our commitment to providing people in Oldham with an infrastructure of modern, value-for-money, demand led services delivered locally. In the broader sense, it is also complimentary to the wider regeneration and sustainability initiatives happening in the area and throughout the rest of the borough”.
The new build will take advantage of new green technologies and design features to minimise its impact on the environment including combined heat and power systems, use of bio fuels, solar shading, rain water recycling and water and lighting conservation measures. These design features will ensure improved cost effectiveness in terms of running costs for this facility compared to the existing sites as well as minimising the impact on the environment and contributing to local and national government targets for lowering carbon emissions.
As well as its impeccable green credentials Community 1st Oldham and construction company Carillion are actively working in partnership with J21 – Oldham & Rochdale Local Labour in Construction Initiative to create opportunities for local contractors and skilled workers to get involved with new developments such as this. This ensures that the carbon footprint of construction is minimised due to the use of materials sourced from local suppliers, and also that it contributes to the local economy through the use of a local workforce.
Neil Charlesworth, Director of Community 1st Oldham Ltd. added “In all our LIFT developments we understand that the LIFT programme is not just about new buildings but about supporting wider regeneration such as employment opportunities in the borough. This is a key target for us when working in partnership with Oldham Council, especially on projects such as this flagship development.