This legacy of the Oldham cooperative movement is in need of urgent repairs.
Mark Watson
Grade II-listed, 1900, Thomas Taylor
The Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society consolidated its presence in Oldham in 1900, when they commissioned local architect Thomas Taylor to build a grand central premises on Huddersfield Road. The project centred around a department store, which sold subsidised goods to local people. This came complete with drapery, gentlemen’s outfitting, furnishing, boot and shoe, butchering, and grocery departments. There were also offices, committee, and board rooms where the cooperative and its partners met to discuss business matters, as was typical of cooperative society buildings in the later nineteenth century, together with an educational department, which included a newsroom, library, and conversation room. The building stands out from other buildings of its type in that it also included two sizeable ballrooms, with the largest built with a seated capacity for 1000 people.
The Society moved out after the Second World War, and whilst the building initially found a new use as a dance and music venue, this closed in the 1990s. Since then, it has been left vacant, and although a number of some shops remain on the ground floor, the other rooms are in need of urgent attention. The scale of the building, with its ballrooms and multiple levels, have made it challenging to find a buyer, but positive developments in the local area suggest a full redevelopment is feasible.
Griff Rhys Jones, Victorian Society President, said: ‘It would be a tragedy if The Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society or Hill Stores is allowed to decay further. It was a popular dance hall and entertainment venue up until recent memory and is still much-loved by many in the community. Its massive scale provides many opportunities for repurposing and re-use. Its existing commercial and entertainment space should give plenty of inspiration to the council, community groups and businesses to make the most of this wonderful building.’
Status Update / March 2026
The building features on the Historic England heritage at risk register and was added to SAVE Britain Heritage’s endangered buildings list in 2023. There have been no signs of improvement since, and there are concerns that the material fabric will deteriorate further if not action is taken to repair the building and determine a sustainable use.