What Oldham Council does

Oldham Council is the statutory local government authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England, delivering mandated public services including housing, Council Tax administration, benefits, education, planning and building control, adult social care, children's safeguarding, waste management, transport and parking, environmental health, libraries, and leisure services. The council serves borough residents (a primary catchment of approximately 237,000 people), local businesses, vulnerable adults requiring social care support, and children and families. Service delivery operates through a multi-channel model combining a Jadu-powered website (oldham.gov.uk), a self-service portal (portal.oldham.gov.uk), personalised My Account access, in-person Civic Centre and library locations, phone contact centres, and extensive online forms.

The council is funded through five primary revenue streams: Council Tax (property-based local taxation), Business Rates (commercial property levies), central government grants for statutory functions including public health and social care, parking fees and Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs ranging £50-£70 with early-payment discounts), and planning fees and Community Infrastructure Levy receipts. Pricing for transactional services includes annual car park permits (£768-£858 per year) and graduated PCN schedules. Operationally, the council operates within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority framework and is a member of the Places for Everyone joint development plan (adopted 21 March 2024) covering nine local authorities, the PATROL Adjudication Joint Committee for parking enforcement, and the Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board with the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub.

Digital infrastructure is limited to conventional content management and self-service portals. The only AI-relevant activity is procurement-side: a £248,000 two-year contract awarded to Manchester startup My Dental Buddy (February 2026) for an AI-powered children's oral health programme. The council has set a net zero carbon target for the borough by 2038 and offers free weekend parking up to three hours at town centre car parks as a town centre footfall initiative. Governance is via elected councillors and statutory accountability to residents, with no private equity, venture capital, or corporate parent ownership.

Name

Oldham Council

Legal name

Oldham Council

Website

https://oldham.gov.uk

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Oldham Council is the statutory local government authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England, delivering mandated public services in housing, social care, education, planning, transport, and waste management to borough residents, businesses, and vulnerable populations funded primarily through Council Tax, Business Rates, and central government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Waste Collection (56211), Administration of Housing Programs (925110), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Community Housing Services (62422), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Refuse Systems (4953), Services-Social Services (8300), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH), Local Transportation, Parking & Mobility Administration (BPAIACAM), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), Local Education Authorities & Municipal Education Offices (EDADABAD)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Public sector administration
• Social care services
• Council tax services
• Waste management

Headquarters

HQ city

Preston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Property-based local taxation charged to residents based on property valuation bands.
2. Business Rates: Levies on commercial properties and businesses operating in the borough.
3. Government Grants: Central government funding and grants for local authority functions including public health and social care.
4. Parking Fees and Charges: Revenue from parking permits, Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), and parking fees at council car parks.
5. Planning Fees and CIL: Charges for planning applications and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) from developers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Oldham Council delivers statutory local government services to residents and businesses within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, including housing and homelessness support, council tax administration, benefits processing, waste and recycling collection, education admissions, planning and building control, public health, social care for vulnerable adults and children, parking enforcement, libraries, and environmental services. These services are accessed via the council's website, self-service portal, in-person Civic Centre and library locations, and phone contact centres.

Product overview

Oldham Council operates as a local government authority providing public services to residents. Its digital presence consists primarily of the Oldham Council website and online services portal (https://www.oldham.gov.uk/), which serves as the primary channel for delivering and managing council services. The offering is structured as a unified website with integrated service portals and online forms rather than discrete software products. Services span housing, council tax, benefits and money, education, planning and building, health and social care, transport and parking, libraries and heritage, leisure and culture, and business services. The My Account portal provides personalized access to council services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Oldham Council Website and Online Services Portal The flagship digital service offering: the unified council website (oldham.gov.uk) providing residents and businesses with access to housing, council tax, benefits, education, planning, health and social care, transport, libraries, leisure, and waste services via online forms, information pages, and integrated portals.
• My Account Portal A personalised online account portal that enables residents to sign in, access tailored council services, track the status of submitted requests, view balances, and manage their interactions with Oldham Council.
• Housing and Homelessness Services Statutory housing service helping Oldham residents apply for social housing, claim housing benefit, access help to pay rent, and receive homelessness assistance.
• Council Tax Administration Council Tax billing, payment, account enquiries, change of address, and Council Tax Reduction scheme for residents on a low income within the Oldham borough.
• Waste, Bins and Recycling Collection Statutory household waste and recycling collection for borough residents, including bin collection date lookup, missed bin reporting, bin ordering/swap/repair, and assisted bin collections.
• Planning and Building Control Statutory planning permission service and building control regulations service for residents, developers, and businesses operating in the borough, including the ability to search for planning applications.
• Adult Social Care Statutory adult social care provision for vulnerable adults in Oldham, including help to live at home, mental health support, safeguarding from abuse, disability services, paying for care advice, and emergency out-of-hours duty team access.
• Children and Families Services Statutory children and families services including child protection, Family Hubs, support for children in care and care leavers, and safeguarding referrals via the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
• Education Admissions and School Places Statutory education service helping parents find a school, apply for a school place, claim free school meals, and access education grants and allowances.
• Parking Permits and Penalty Charge Notices Management of council-owned town centre car parks and associated permits (Bow Street, Bradshaw Street, Hobson Street, Southgate Street, Waterloo Street), disabled parking permits, and statutory Penalty Charge Notices for parking and bus lane violations.
• Libraries, Heritage and Arts Service Heritage, Libraries and Arts service (hla.oldham.gov.uk) providing book lending, events and activities, library joining, free Wi-Fi and public computer access, and digital skills assistance including tablet lending.
• Births, Marriages and Deaths Registration Statutory registration service for births, marriages, civil partnerships, and deaths, including certificate requests through the Registration Service.
• Roads, Pavements and Street Care Highways and street care service including pothole reporting, street cleaning, roadworks information, winter gritting, and related environmental maintenance.
• Environment, Fly-tipping and Pest Control Environmental services including fly-tipping reporting, pest control treatments, and pollution response for residents and businesses in the borough.
• Transport, Parking and Travel Information Local transport services providing parking information, bus pass administration, and gritting/winter travel coordination across the Oldham borough.
• Leisure, Parks and Markets Leisure and cultural offering covering council markets, parks and green spaces management, and arts and cultural programming in partnership with the Heritage, Libraries and Arts service.
• Safeguarding and Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) Statutory safeguarding service providing a single point of contact for reporting abuse or concerns about vulnerable adults and children, with referrals coordinated through the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
• Benefits, Money and Welfare Support Statutory benefits service providing Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, crisis and housing payments, and money advice for residents on a low income, including 'We can help' emergency support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free weekend parking up to 3 hours on all council-managed town centre car parks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Places for Everyone Joint Development PlancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development plan of nine Greater Manchester local authorities (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford, and Wigan) dealing with strategic planning issues including jobs, homes, transport, and natural environment. Adopted 21 March 2024.
• My Dental BuddyminorOthersManchester startup founded in 2023 by Dr Ramzan Mohammed. Awarded £248,000 two-year oral health programme contract with Oldham Council. Projects £1.6m total revenue over three years.
• PATROL Adjudication Joint CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParking and Traffic Regulations Outside London (PATROL) Adjudication Joint Committee. Oldham Council is a member. The Joint Committee publishes Annual Statement of Accounts subject to external audit.
• Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board (OSAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership of organisations working together to protect adults who are vulnerable, at risk, or experiencing abuse and neglect. Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) coordinates safeguarding referrals.
• Action TogetherminorOthersLocal voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations partnership providing community activities directory and local support services referred by Adult Social Care.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Manchester City Council: Core co-member of the Places for Everyone joint development plan and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Provides the same statutory local government functions (housing, council tax, planning, social care) within the adjacent metropolitan borough — most directly comparable peer by remit, scale, and strategic framework.
• Rochdale Borough Council: Immediate neighbouring metropolitan borough within the Places for Everyone joint plan, delivering the identical portfolio of statutory local authority services to a similar demographic profile. Direct comparable on funding structure, social care demand, and joint planning obligations.
• Tameside Council: Greater Manchester metropolitan borough co-member of Places for Everyone. Comparable on population, deprivation indicators, and service scope — provides a near-identical mix of housing, education, social care, and waste management functions.
• Bolton Council: Greater Manchester metropolitan borough and joint plan partner. Similar mid-tier metropolitan authority profile with comparable council tax base, planning volumes, and social care demand — useful benchmark for operational performance and funding settlements.
• Bury Council: Smaller Greater Manchester metropolitan borough within Places for Everyone. Operates the same statutory functions with similar constraints — useful peer for benchmarking digital service delivery and cost per resident metrics.
• Salford City Council: Greater Manchester joint plan member with a more urban/regeneration-heavy mix. Provides a useful peer for assessing the impact of major regeneration projects (e.g. MediaCity) on business rates and council tax base, which informs Oldham's own town centre regeneration thesis.
• Trafford Council: Affluent Greater Manchester metropolitan borough co-member of Places for Everyone. Useful peer for benchmarking the upper bound of business rates yield per capita and the funding flexibility that comes with a stronger commercial tax base.
• Wigan Council: Greater Manchester joint plan member with comparable population size to Oldham. Operates identical statutory functions and is a useful peer for adult social care demand modelling and waste management service benchmarking.

Regional players

• Stockport Council: Greater Manchester metropolitan borough not in the Places for Everyone joint plan, providing a useful comparator for councils that retain independent strategic planning control. Comparable on statutory function mix but operationally distinct.
• Kirklees Council: West Yorkshire metropolitan borough of similar size and demographic profile, operating outside the Greater Manchester combined authority framework. Useful peer for benchmarking funding settlements and service delivery performance for an equivalent northern metropolitan council.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OldhamCouncil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LoveOldham/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/loveoldham
• Instagraminstagram.com/oldhamcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oldham Council