A landmark piece of Oldham’s built environment just picked up a major national honor, and it is a reminder of how much value can be unlocked when historic buildings are brought back into daily public use.
The former Old Library on Greaves Street has been named Regeneration Project of the Year at the Construction News Awards 2026, recognizing construction and restoration work from across the UK. The Grade II-listed building underwent an extensive restoration by Tilbury Douglas before reopening last August as a civic and cultural hub.
Built in 1883, the 34,800-square-foot building served as Oldham’s main library for more than 130 years. It stopped operating as the main library after the Oldham Library and Lifelong Learning Centre opened in 2006, and the site had been out of public use since 2017.
Today, the revived building has a new identity as the J.R. Clynes Building. It now houses Oldham Council’s Council Chamber and Mayor’s Parlour, meeting rooms for community groups, a restored art gallery, a dedicated studio for Oldham Theatre Workshop, and a community garden designed to host events throughout the year.
Oldham Council Director of Growth James Kington said the award reflects the “vision, collaboration and expertise” needed to deliver what he called a complex restoration. For contractors working in regeneration, that emphasis on collaboration is worth noting. Civic restoration projects tend to move faster when the owner, design team, and trades align early on what must be preserved, what can be adapted, and how the finished building will actually function for the public.
Read the full, original article from Saddleworth Independent here.