Visitors centre planned for UK's largest urban farm

Fruit and vegetables are grown at the Northern Roots eco-project in Oldham

Plans are set to be submitted for a visitors centre at the UK's largest urban farm and eco-park.

The Northern Roots environmental project is being created on 160 acres of former industrial land in Oldham.

The visitors centre will feature farm shops, as well as a place to teach young people about managing woodland and wildlife.

It is hoped work will begin this autumn and the building will open by the end of 2025.

Anna da Silva is the Chief Executive of Northern Roots

The Northern Roots environmental project was initiated by Oldham Council, which owns most of the site - close to the Fitton Hill estate.

They are a charity and so far have raised around £15 million to support their work.

Chief executive, Anna da Silva, said: "It's a real ground-breaking project and it's the biggest of its kind in the UK.

"There used to be mills, mines and railway lines on this site.

"We want to bring this post-industrial land back into use to create jobs, to improve nature and to grow healthy food to connect people with where their food comes from."

Fruit and vegetables grown at Northern Roots is sold on Thursday afternoons

The project hopes to protect existing habitats like woodlands and grasslands.

It also aims to create new areas of wildlife by planting trees and hedgerows, as well as creating ponds and wetlands.

Ms da Silva said reaching out to local people was a big part of their work: "We've already got schools coming down.

"We get quite a lot of interest from special needs providers to bring young people down.

"We're building those relationships now, with the limited facilities we have, so we can really ramp them up when we have proper facilities."

Georgia Forsyth Sijpestijn helps run the urban farm at Northern Roots

The urban farm at the site is also being expanded.

Four more acres of grassland will be transformed into an allotment for growing fruit and vegetables.

Georgia Forsyth Sijpestijn, who helps run the urban farm at Northern Roots, said: "This year, we've included wood workshops and expanded our capacity for social prescribing.

"The visitors centre will have farm shops. It'll just make out capacity much larger."

'You're working with nature'

Leeks, aubergines, carrots and potatoes have been grown on the site this year, with the help of volunteers.

The produce is sold on Thursdays of each week - depending on what is ready to harvest.

Georgia Forsyth Sijpestijn said: "This year it has been wet and cold, with really low sunlight levels.

"We've had to re-sow various things like crops which have failed. But that's what farming is, you're working with nature.

"In the polytunnels we've got broad beans, various varieties of tomatoes and chillies.

"We've also planted flowers like borage and marigolds to help the pollinators, help keep the pests way and generally be more ecological."

John Drydale from Royton is a volunteer at Northern Roots

John Drydale from Royton has been a volunteer at Northern Roots for 18 months.

He said: "I've helped to plant trees and I've learnt to do woodchipping. It's helped me a lot since I've been here and I come every Thursday. I love it here so much.

The Northern Roots project is also running an NHS social prescribing programme in partnership with the Hill Top GP Surgery in Fitton Hill.

Doctors at the practice can refer patients who they think would benefit from access to nature, growing, creativity and community.