Willmott Dixon has been selected by Oldham Council to build a new Visitor Centre and Forestry Skills Centre at Northern Roots, the UK's largest urban farm and eco-park.
The development marks a major milestone in the transformation of 160 acres of green space at the heart of Oldham, part of the council’s ambitious ‘Green and Growing’ strategy. The project has been made possible thanks to £12.9 million in funding from the Government’s Town Deal and Levelling Up Fund Round 2.
Located in the woodland area at the northern end of the site, the new Visitor Centre will include a café, shop, production kitchen, exhibition and performance space, along with learning and meeting facilities for community use. The neighbouring Forestry Skills Centre will offer residents access to vocational training and qualifications in technical and land-based skills.
The new buildings are central to the next phase of development at Northern Roots, which has already seen the planting of 2,000 trees and creation of six ponds to encourage biodiversity, as well as the establishment of a wildflower meadow and community garden.
Additional works as part of the transformation include improved access routes, car parking, an outdoor amphitheatre and further landscaping designed to enhance the site for both wildlife and visitors.
Willmott Dixon aims to complete the Visitor Centre in summer 2026.
Michael Poole-Sutherland, Director for the North West at Willmott Dixon, said: "As an Oldham-based business we are excited to be shaping this invaluable community space, working in partnership with Oldham Council once again. In partnership with our proud local supply chain partners, we are committed to creating four new employment opportunities directly on the project. Through our bespoke 'Building Lives Academy’ pre-employability programme, we will support 10 previously unemployed Oldham residents with qualifications, skills and work experience.
"We will continue to work with local schools and colleges through site visits, industry workshops and employability sessions. To date, our project team have also volunteered more than 115 hours supporting Oldham people, including with The Salvation Army and the Northern Roots charity."
Construction News
17/04/2025
Willmott Dixon To Deliver New Visitor And Forestry Skills Centre


22/05/2025
Oxford City Council has approved plans for a new, modern community centre in the heart of Blackbird Leys.
The council's planning committee gave the go-ahead on Tuesday 20 May, paving the way for construction to begin later this year.
The new centre is part of a broader redevelopment of the Distric

22/05/2025
Leading construction and facilities management company GRAHAM has officially commenced a new repairs and maintenance contract with Sandwell Property Care, part of the Council's Corporate Landlord team.
The contract covers the borough's extensive portfolio of non-housing properties, and will see GRA

22/05/2025
A significant milestone has been reached at Royal Bolton Hospital, as Bolton NHS Foundation Trust officially broke ground on the £38 million redevelopment of its Maternity and Women’s Health Unit.
The work is being carried out in partnership with Robertson Construction North West and marks the sta

22/05/2025
Galliford Try's Environment business has been honoured with a prestigious Silver Green World Award in recognition of its outstanding environmental efforts at the Tophill Low Water Treatment Works (WTW).
The project was selected from more than 1,200 entries worldwide, highlighting the global signifi

22/05/2025
A major new cement import facility planned for the North West of England is set to bolster growth in the UK construction sector while advancing the industry's efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
The deep-water terminal, to be built at the former P&O site at Gladstone Dock in Liverpool, is the resul

22/05/2025
A major new drainage initiative is under way across Oxfordshire, with work now started to clean and empty every highway gully in the county annually.
The £2.6 million programme, which began last month in Wheatley, will see nearly 145,000 highway drains, gullies, manholes, and catchpits cleaned by t

22/05/2025
Housing association Gentoo has announced a landmark investment programme aimed at improving more than 4,000 homes across Sunderland during 2025/26, in one of the city's largest ever housing improvement initiatives.
The multi-million-pound scheme will deliver a wide range of upgrades to thousands of

22/05/2025
Bilfinger UK has secured a key contract with National Gas to help maintain the flow of gas across the National Transmission System (NTS), a move that will create up to 100 jobs and support vital national infrastructure.
As Principal Designer and Principal Contractor, Bilfinger will lead a multi-dis

22/05/2025
A new strategic partnership has been formed between Network Rail Property, Places for London, and the London Borough of Lambeth to drive forward a major regeneration of London Waterloo Station and the surrounding South Bank neighbourhood.
The collaboration follows the publication of the Waterloo St

22/05/2025
Wythenshawe Park has seen a series of improvements aimed at making it more accessible and enjoyable for all visitors, as part of Manchester City Council's £157,000 Clean, Green, Safer Manchester Investment.
The funding supports a wider initiative to enhance green spaces across the city and has been