A bold vision to bring almost 10,000 homes, multiple town centre overhauls and two new train stations to Tameside has been given the final sign-off. 

‘Homes, Spaces, Places’ is the name of the local authority’s vision for the borough’s growth over the next two decades. The local plan will shape planning decisions, how town centres are reconfigured and where thousands of new homes and other key developments will be built.

The momentous plan was hailed by town hall bosses at their latest meeting in the Tameside One council building. 

Following feedback from the public ocnsultation, Council leader Eleanor Wills and her executive cabinet approved the publication of the mammoth 95-page document. This will become the council’s strategy for the borough up to 2042.

A key component of this plan would be house building, with an extra 9,700 earmarked. Some 17,055 square metres office floorspace; 277,930 square metres of industrial and warehousing space and three additional pitches for gypsy and traveller accommodation have all also been mooted.

The allocation for housing sites has already been outlined by Places for Everyone (PfE), a massive Greater Manchester-wide housing plan – adopted in March 2024 by nine out of the ten GM districts.

Two huge sites in Tameside include the housing plans for Godley Green Garden Village and south of Hyde.

Council papers read: “In addition, the borough’s centres are expected to be locations where large proportions of new housing are expected to be directed to.

“This is because they are well suited to the provision of higher density housing and accessible locations, enabling large numbers of new homes to be provided.

“In particular, Ashton-under-Lyne and Stalybridge are locations where multiple opportunities exist.”

Here is a further breakdown of the ‘Homes, Spaces, Places’ (HSP) plan…

Transport

Improving transport infrastructure is seen as key to tackling issues of social exclusion, deprivation and being an important driver of economic growth.

For rail infrastructure, two new stations have been earmarked for the area. A new Droylsden/Ashton Moss West station east of Littlemoss Road Bridge and west of the M60 as well as a new Dukinfield/Dewsnap station have been mooted.

This would come alongside improvements to the other stations already in operation across the borough, if all goes to plan. HSP outlined that the public wanted investment, expansion and improvement to all public transport – not just on the railways.

The tram network in particular was suggested for expansion and integration within the current public transport network of the borough.

Building work on the Mottram to Tintwistle Bypass, now referred to as the A57 Links Road, will start this year. The council hope this will reduce traffic congestion in the area, alongside improvements the integration of the Bee Network bus and tram system will bring.

Town centres

Tameside’s main town centres are Ashton, Denton, Droylsden, Hyde, Hattersley, Mossley and Stalybridge. They each have their own identities and provide a unique offer to punters on the high street.

It is no secret that town centres across the country are facing challenges and have rapidly changed in response to shifting shopping habits and working patterns. These issues were exacerbated by the significant impact of the Covid-19 pandemic – with rising retail vacancies, declining footfall and increased online shopping.

The HSP plan hopes to revive these much-loved town centres, putting residents’ opinions at the heart of the vision. Issues raised by locals include a decline in shopping choice; more houses near the centres; greater choice of entertainment and leisure facilities; and better use of empty land.

To address this, the council wants to create defined shopping areas for towns where they  believe can have the greatest benefit to locals. There are also proposals to retain and enhance existing markets and introduce new ones where appropriate.

As for retail and leisure space, that would go just outside the district centres of towns, under the HSP strategy.

Council papers read: “HSP needs to positively plan for the long-term vitality and viability of Tameside’s centres.

“To ensure vibrancy, they need to evolve as community hubs, offering a mix of employment, homes, leisure, community facilities and services, where retail is increasingly a smaller part of a wide range of complementary uses, under-pinned by quality places and spaces.

“Residential provision is a vital part of this, as it provides footfall and increases the sense of safety in centres.”

Credit: LDRS