Construction is now underway on the next phase of the pioneering Northern Roots project in Oldham – an ambitious vision to create the UK’s largest urban farm and eco‑park.
Located across 160 acres of stunning green space just ten minutes from Oldham town centre, the site is being transformed into a thriving environmental, social and economic hub for the North. Backed by £12.9 million in government funding, the development promises to deliver a flagship visitor destination, boost green skills, support biodiversity, and provide valuable community spaces.
At the heart of the construction phase is a new Visitor Centre, carefully designed to blend into the surrounding woodland. The centre will feature a café, shop, production kitchen, exhibition and performance spaces, classrooms and meeting rooms. Alongside it, a Forestry Skills Centre will provide technical training and land-based qualifications to equip local people with hands-on experience in the green economy.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, said: “We’re not just building new facilities, we’re building careers, raising aspirations, and putting Oldham on the map as a leader in green innovation.”
The site will also benefit from new access roads, car parking, outdoor amphitheatre space, and significant landscaping works. Future plans include solar energy installations, mountain biking trails, wild play zones and expanded community growing areas.
Since the initial works began in 2023, the project has already made a meaningful impact – creating 80 volunteer placements, engaging over 600 children, involving 6,000 local residents, planting 2,000 trees, digging six wildlife ponds, and delivering a community garden and wildflower meadow.
Anna da Silva, CEO of the Northern Roots charity, said: “In years to come we hope that visitors from across the region will come to enjoy these facilities and connect with nature and each other.”
The project is also providing valuable employment and training opportunities through Willmott Dixon’s Building Lives Academy, as well as community volunteering placements. Construction is due for completion in summer 2026, although the eco‑park will remain open to visitors throughout.
This urban agricultural venture represents a new era for sustainable regeneration—blending land-based learning, community engagement and climate-conscious development. For those driving innovation in agritech, it’s a glowing example of what’s possible when green ambition meets local action.
