Spa and restaurant approved for Saddleworth church

Luke Rafferty owns two businesses in the neighbouring borough of Bury, but has been waiting for approval to open his latest venture in Oldham for several months.

Mr Rafferty submitted a planning application back in November 2025 to convert St Paul's Church, on Huddersfield Road, in Scouthead, into a restaurant and spa, with an outdoor swimming pool.

An outdoor seating area will also be created.

The spa and restaurant complex would be named The Cotton, a separate application to install signage revealed.

Since 2022, the church has been used by The Aisle Edit, a bridal boutique and department store.

However, a planning officer's report on the latest plans stated that no permission was sought for the retail use, and that the church is still officially a place of worship.

A CGI of the sign for the planned conversion of St Paul's church into a restaurant and spa (Image: Office Renoso-Urmston)

The planning officer outlined that the change of use will enable a vacant church to be brought into active, non-residential use and provide new employment for local people.

In their report, the officer also considered that the 'unique use' within the Saddleworth area will provide an 'enhancement' to tourism and recreation in the local area.

The restaurant in the facility will be open from 9am until 11pm, seven days a week, with the spa opening times from 9am to 6pm, seven days a week.

The outside spa area must close at 6pm, and the outside seating will need to close at 7pm, after environmental health requested the curfew due to noise complaints.

The council's highways engineer also asked for a legal agreement and £4,000 contributions so that waiting restrictions can be introduced along the stretch of Huddersfield Road.

Floor plans submitted for the conversion of St Paul's in Scouthead into a restaurant and spa (Image: Office Renoso-Urmston)

This is in light of the total number of car parking spaces being reduced from 28 to 23 and the conclusion that this is unlikely to be sufficient for the proposed number of employees and customers.

The business will have 30 employees, but they will not all work at the same time, and 90 customers at full capacity.

Mr Rafferty first opened Smoke Yard in Oldham in 2015.

He later opened West Ivy in Bury town centre, which he sold Smoke Yard to focus on and later also opened Drip, in Bury, which has since been rebranded into Alfred's.

His restaurants sell a range of food, including hanging skewers, steaks, burgers and small plates, and each has its own unique feel.