Buying a home in OL4 (Oldham)
OL4 covers the Alexandra, Saddleworth North, Saddleworth South, Saddleworth West & Lees, Shaw, St James', St Mary's and Waterhead wards, in Oldham.
What the records show in OL4 (Oldham): parts of the area are a radon Affected Area, with up to 5–10% of homes above the action level; the British Geological Survey rates landslides as significant near all 8 postcodes we checked; old landfill lies within 500 m of all 7 postcodes we checked; and one postcode we checked is in a conservation area or on a listed building's site, including Lees.
Land Registry recorded 25 sales there in the last 3 years, with a median price of £175,000, and the most common were terraced homes.
From official records at 8 postcodes. Conditions change from street to street, so check the home you're buying.
Check a home in OL4
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and seaOutside mapped flood areas at all 8 postcodes we checked
- Surface waterLow or very low at all 5 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 5–10% of homes above the action level
- GroundLandslides recorded nearby
- Median sale£175,000 across 25 sales in the last 3 years
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of OL4 or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against the Environment Agency's flood zones.
All 8 postcodes we checked are outside mapped river and sea flood areas. Homes nearer a river or the coast can still be in one.
Surface water flooding
Flooding from heavy rain that can't drain away.
- Low: 1 of 5 postcodes
- Very low: 4 of 5 postcodes
We couldn't check 3 postcodes when this guide was built, so they aren't counted above.
Radon
From the UK Health Security Agency's map of each 1 km square.
At all 8 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 5–10% of homes above the action level.
The map shows the highest value in each square, not a measurement for any home. A three-month test tells you about a particular house.
Ground stability
British Geological Survey ratings for the surrounding area, not a particular plot.
- Landslides: significant near all 8 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is low or none at every postcode we checked.
Ask your surveyor to look for cracking and movement, and the seller about subsidence claims.
Old landfill sites
Historic landfill sites within 500 m of each postcode centre.
- OL4 3LG: 20 sites within 500 m, nearest 20 m
- OL4 3FW: 15 sites within 500 m, one covering the postcode centre
- OL4 3HD: 16 sites within 500 m, nearest 60 m
- OL4 5AA: 15 sites within 500 m, nearest 160 m
- OL4 3JH: 18 sites within 500 m, nearest 30 m
- OL4 4NX: 11 sites within 500 m, nearest 90 m
- OL4 4SB: 13 sites within 500 m, nearest 140 m
We couldn't check 1 postcode when this guide was built, so they aren't counted above.
Most old landfill causes no problems, but a home on or next to one can be harder to mortgage.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Whether each postcode centre falls in a conservation area, on a listed building's site, or under similar protections.
- Lees (conservation area) at OL4 5AA
You need consent for many changes, such as new windows or an extension.
Broadband and mobile
Ofcom's predictions for every address at the 8 postcodes we checked.
We couldn't get Ofcom's figures when this guide was built.
House prices
The average price in Oldham was £217,214 in August 2026, up 4.6% on a year earlier, across every home in the council area.
At the postcodes we checked, Land Registry has 25 sales in the last 3 years, with a median of £175,000 and a range of £100,000 to £344,000, including 1 new build.
| Type | Sales | Median price |
|---|---|---|
| Terraced | 13 | £145,000 |
| Semi-detached | 10 | £251,500 |
| Flats and maisonettes | 2 | £136,500 |
Crime
Measured around OL4 3LG, near the centre of OL4.
1 crimes were reported within about a mile of the centre in August 2026. Town centres usually have more, because of shops and nightlife.
- Violence and sexual offences1
Schools near the centre
The nearest schools by distance. Distance doesn't decide a place: each council's admissions rules do.
- Hey-with-Zion Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Academy converter · 90 m
- St Edwards Roman Catholic Primary, a Voluntary Academy
Primary · ages 3–11 · Academy converter · 100 m
- St Thomas' Leesfield CofE Primary School
Primary · ages 4–11 · Voluntary aided school · 720 m
- Springhead Infant and Nursery School
Primary · ages 3–7 · Community school · 740 m
- Knowsley Junior School
Primary · ages 7–11 · Foundation school · 950 m
- Co-op Academy Strinesdale
Secondary · ages 11–16 · Academy sponsor led · 870 m
- Oasis Academy Leesbrook
Secondary · ages 11–16 · Free schools · 1.2 km
- The Grove Partnership
Secondary · ages 10–16 · Pupil referral unit · 1.5 km
- Sapience Girls Academy
Secondary · ages 11–16 · Other independent school · 1.9 km
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council: Primary admissions ↗ · Secondary admissions ↗
Postcode by postcode
Each row is one postcode centre we checked. Open a postcode for the full free area check.
| Postcode | Rivers and sea | Surface water | Radon | Ground | Landfill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL4 3LG | Outside | Low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 20 within 500 m |
| OL4 3FW | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 15 within 500 m |
| OL4 3HD | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 16 within 500 m |
| OL4 5AA | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 15 within 500 m |
| OL4 3JH | Outside | Not checked | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 18 within 500 m |
| OL4 4NX | Outside | Not checked | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 11 within 500 m |
| OL4 4SB | Outside | Very low | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | 13 within 500 m |
| OL4 3BP | Outside | Not checked | 5–10% | Significant: landslides | Not checked |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 8 postcodes, not every street, and leaves out planning applications: check the postcode you're buying in.
- It isn't a survey, a search or advice, and doesn't rate OL4 or any home.
Sources
Checked 30 October 2026. We refresh these guides every month.
- HM Land Registry Price Paid Data
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- Environment Agency, Historic Landfill Sites (Environment Agency Conditional Licence). Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right.
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (Open Government Licence)
- Planning Data England (planning.data.gov.uk)
- UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland), Open Government Licence. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Contains Registers of Scotland data © Crown copyright and database right.
- data.police.uk street-level crime (Open Government Licence)
- Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (Open Government Licence)