OLDHAM’S Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups have hit out at the council’s fresh promise to deliver the latest version of the Prince's Gate development.

Reacting to Oldham Council’s update on the planning application for a new hotel and Lidl at the site, Liberal Democrat leader Howard Sykes said: “It is hardly a cast iron commitment to say later this year, is it?

“The development did not get a mention in December with all the other regeneration plans – so it was clearly not on track then.”

Back in 2018, Cllr Sykes demanded answers from the council over the fate of the Prince’s Gate project.

He said: “Prince’s Gate was supposed to deliver 700 jobs and £21 million a year to the local economy.

“Instead, it has so far cost the council taxpayers of Oldham many millions in undisclosed abortive costs spent on marketing, planning and regeneration professionals as well as the costs of site assembly and clearance.”

In response to the council’s latest announcement, Royton North Conservative Cllr Dave Arnott said: "Big on old news, Lidl surprise.

“This really is old news coming from Oldham Council which is re-spinning old news to clear for the May elections. Dusting off a new Lidl store and budget hotel that has been rehashed from nearly three years ago. Sean Fielding was council leader back then, and it was part of his master plan, yet we are still talking about a Lidl and hotel again, a true sense of Deja vu!

“We warmly welcome any new investment and jobs in Oldham, but we were promised an M&S as an anchor tenant, apartments, retail space, bars and restaurants by former Labour Council leader Jim McMahon, none of which, seemingly will materialise."

St James Conservative Cllr Beth Sharp added: "Council Leader Arooj Shah was part of the Labour Cabinet that said M&S was coming to Oldham and called it a 'gamechanger'.

“We were also promised a regional conference centre and the aptly named 'hotel future'. In that time millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money has been spent and wasted on stop start schemes from Jim McMahon MP to Councillor Shah.

“From high hopes to low expectations, the people of Oldham deserve answers as to where their money has been spent and will be spent. We still don't know how much Spindles and all these projects will cost taxpayers in total."