The Not for profit `Our House` rent to buy shop in Oldham run in partnership with the council has closed just five months after opening. Parent not for profit company FRC Group had set up a subsidiary company because of the high risk of this venture which has now entered administration, FRC also operates Bulky Bob’s which partners Oldham Council for large item collection, recycling and disposal . Labour Oldham’s business acumen and suitable partner procurement protocol is clearly in question here, offering an alternative to high interest rent to buy retailer “Brighthouse” but without debt collectors or any pressure to make payments on time this model was always going to be an exploited failure. This echoes Oldham Councils delivery of the Old Town Hall Cinema and their lack of financial accountability where the Council got the original costs, delivery timescale’s & the dilapidated condition of The Old Town Hall completely wrong. Expert research at Oldham Council obviously equals a combination of once we have got the budget wrong on multiple occasions and/or once we have demolished what was originally to be saved and once we have changed our plans we will then publish expert analysis based on our plethora of corrected failures.
Oldham Labour leader & Chief Executive opening Our House