Massive change is coming to Tameside town centres over the next decade thanks to a cash pot of almost £60m.
Since 2021, the council has been successful in Levelling Up Funding bids – grabbing £20m for Ashton, £17m for Denton and £20m for Stalybridge.
These three projects have all seen progress in the last few weeks.
Anyone who has visited Ashton recently will notice the humdrum of the town centre has become a clang and bang of construction work.
The transformation of Market Square is the first obvious visual representation of the Levelling Up cash being spent in the borough.
A total of £14.6m is being spent on replacing the 104 fixed market stalls with a large canopy containing 10 market kiosks.
Construction workers are busy building the new covering, which will provide market traders with protection from the weather and become a hub for events and cultural activities.
But town hall bosses aren't stopping there. Last week council chiefs laid down a 'statement of intent' to kickstart a massive project surrounding Market Square.
Thousands more homes are to be built alongside the region's first fully-integrated Bee Network station – connecting Metrolink, bus and train services. At the latest town hall meeting, the executive cabinet signed off on finding a development partner for the scheme by Spring 2026.
Deputy leader Coun Andrew McLaren said 'this is a true statement of intent' to achieve their ambition for 2,400 new homes; 12.5 hectares of commercial space to support businesses and jobs; and Greater Manchester's first fully connected Bee Network station.
To do this Ladysmith Shopping Centre, which has been a mainstay off Market Square since the 1960s, would have to be bulldozed. Both the Arcades and Ladysmith shopping centres are set to be reconfigured.
The majority of Ladysmith's retail offerings would be transferred to the Arcades next door as it would make space for 306 new homes. It would also become a gateway connecting a revitalised Market Square to the transport interchange via a new public realm where the old bus station once stood.
Filling the space left by the old station would be 466 new homes and 5,710 sqm of 'active ground floor space', linking the town centre to its transport hubs.
The Arcades would then become the central hub for shopping, with a cinema and leisure facilities earmarked for the first floor.
This latest version of the Ashton masterplan builds on the ongoing transformation of Market Square and development of St Petersfield as part of the Ashton Mayoral Development (AMDZ).
The masterplan is aimed at ensuring people can move about the town centre safely and easily; creating welcoming 'gateways'; bringing more visitors to the town; and building on public realm improvements in Market Square.
Coun Andrew McLaren, deputy leader and executive member for growth, housing and homelessness, said: "A development partner will help us move faster with our plans for Ashton.
"By connecting public and private sites, we're laying the groundwork for real growth. We're looking for developers with experience in Greater Manchester who understand the challenges and opportunities.
"We're excited to share what's ahead."
Denton
Moving south of the region, there is finally some movement on the Denton project.
This town centre transformation has been stalled for over a year as the funding needed to be validated by the new government following the last general election. The council received £16.8m in the third round of funding at the end of 2023.
That full pot of money has been thawed this summer, so the local authority is pressing ahead working out how to splash the cash.
The specifics of the scheme are not yet clear, but it is expected the money will go towards improving the public realm and active travel options as well as works at Denton Town Hall and the repurposing of the Festival Hall site.
The public realm across the town centre and Victoria Park will benefit from significant improvements too, according to council plans. These will include improved pedestrian and cycling routes, cycling parking and work which will support the Denton Mayors Challenge Fund (MCF) Crown Point Scheme.
Progress has already been made now the Festival Hall has temporarily closed as plans kick into motion.
The iconic functions venue in the heart of the Tameside town will be transformed into a space for a mixture of residential and community use. Some £2m has been earmarked for delivering a sustainable future for Denton Festival Hall.
The building's temporary closure on August 29 will allow work to begin to prepare the property for marketing to a development partner to help deliver the vision for the Peel Street site, according to Tameside council.
Deputy council leader and executive member for growth, housing and homelessness, Coun Andrew McLaren, said: "We respect the heritage of Denton Festival Hall and its value as a community venue.
"However, the hall has not been in full time use for a number of years and – in its current format and condition – is an unsustainable drain on public funds.
"The Levelling Up money presents an exciting opportunity for us to work with a private developer to redevelop the building to secure its future to meet both residential and community needs.
"In the meantime, we're working closely with current users of the building to ensure they can continue their valued work in the community during the temporary closure."
Stalybridge
Once known as 'Staly Vegas' for its party status in the early noughties, Stalybridge is one of Tameside's most picturesque towns.
With a canal acting as an artery through its heart boasting a wealth of wildlife and a train station ideal for commuters – it's clear why the local authority wants to throw money at the town.
Now plans to upgrade its historic assets and overhaul its western edge have surged ahead.
Four underused plots of land could soon unlock the £11.1m scheme to give the area round the train station a facelift.
The area has been targeted for new housing; improved roads; public realm upgrades; a new multi-storey car park; and a pedestrian footbridge. The idea behind this is to deliver regeneration of the town centre, attract further investment, and deliver vital new housing.
In order to do this, Tameside council is now looking to remediate some of their own land in order to kickstart this project.
Council car parks on Waterloo Road and Castle Street, as well as vacant land on Caroline Street and Bridge Street are all touted for remediation.
This means, if plans are approved, the land parcels would have pollutants or contaminants removed so it is safe to reuse for future development.
The proposed new multi-level car park would replace existing surface level car parking that would be lost through the remediation process. The footbridge across the River Tame would then help improve access to the new residential quarter of the town.
This all forms part of a wider redevelopment strategy in the town after it was awarded £19.9m of Levelling Up funding.
Elsewhere in the town, the cash injection will go towards the regeneration of the Astley Cheetham Library and Art Gallery; Stalybridge Civic Hall; public squares; and the road network.
Just this week, the Grade-II listed library had £1.8m plans approved to extend the building. It will get a new lift and an external accessible ramp to be installed.
The existing accessible entrance to the Jacobean Revival style building next to the Civic Hall has been described as 'uninviting' and 'poorly signposted'.
Tameside Council added: "In Stalybridge, a £19.9 million regeneration programme is also well underway.
"Improvements to public realm and active travel routes are already being delivered, and work is progressing on our cultural and heritage assets, with completion expected by March 2027.
"At the heart of Stalybridge's cultural regeneration, the Civic Hall is undergoing significant restoration, with a new events programme being piloted to activate the space and support community use, laying the foundation for a vibrant cultural quarter.
"Plans for Stalybridge West are also advancing, unlocking land for future housing and investment and to get a development partner onboard in 2026."
