| Failsworth | |
| Location | Oldham, Greater Manchester |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | |
| Owner | Oldham Athletic |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | £20 million |
| Capacity | 12,000 |
The Failsworth Project was the unofficial name for the proposed 12,000 capacity football stadium for Oldham Athletic A.F.C in the town of Failsworth 4 miles (6.4 km) away from Boundary Park, on the site of the Lancaster Club, costing £20 million[1]. The club made an agreement with BAE Systems to purchase a 30-acre (120,000 m2) piece of land, on which the club planned to build a 12,000 capacity stadium along with other leisure and corporate facilities [2]. The project didn't receive an official name.
Plans to redevelop Boundary Park, starting with the Broadway Stand, were scrapped in on 5 September 2008 as a result of the financial crisis of 2007–2010 and the subsequent downturn in the UK property market. This was despite the Broadway Stand already being demolished.
This project hasn't been without controversy one reason being that the construction of a new stadium would result in moving the Broadway Allotments which has been running since the 1940s[3]. Not to mention that this has also caused some controversy amongst some supporters as Failsworth has a Manchester post code and is not considered by some people as part of Oldham[4]. There was also a dispute as to whether or not the land was a trust, this knocked the project into limbo as the Charity Commission experts stated that the High Court may have to rule whether the land at Failsworth Lower Memorial Park was a trust [5]. This issue was resolved in June 2010 after the Charity Commission agreed a land swap deal[6]. However, in February, 2011, the charity commission rejected the plans and said that they were 'not satisfied' with the proposed new plans.
Oldham Council Officially backed the plans for the new stadium after Council chiefs voted in favour of pushing forward with a land deal[7].
The proposed site is next to the location of the Lancaster Club just off the A663, close to the junction with the A62. It is hoped that the new Metrolink station at Failsworth will be opened before the stadium is built which will be located 15 minutes walk from the site, ensuring better transport links than Boundary Park.
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