New bridge for Stalybridge approved

A new pedestrian bridge in Stalybridge has been approved as part of a giant regeneration project.

The new bridge, designed for people and cyclists, will arch over the River Tame and connect Water Street and Caroline Street.

The western side of the Tameside town is expected to change dramatically in the coming years. In and around the train station is destined to welcome new housing; improved roads; public realm upgrades; a new multi-storey car park; in addition to the new footbridge. 

This all forms part of a £11.1m scheme to give Stalybridge’s western edge a facelift – delivering regeneration of the town centre, attracting further investment, and delivering vital new housing around a transport hub.

Plans for the new footbridge were tabled at the end of 2025, followed by proposals for the multi-storey car park in February this year. The plans for the new 171-space car park are also expected to be approved by the local authority in the coming weeks.

The new multi-level car park would replace existing surface level car parking that would be lost through the land remediation process. The footbridge across the River Tame would then help improve access to the new residential quarter of the town.

This comes after underused plots of land were ‘unlocked’ by town hall bosses last year to facilitate the scheme.

A vision for the Stalybridge West masterplan reads: “A lively urban quarter in the town. When developed, the plans provide for a mix of housing types and tenures, from one bed apartments to larger family homes, available in secure environments surrounded by new and refurbished commercial and public buildings enhancing local services, set within a high-quality public realm environment.

“A new destination created with local jobs, amenities, public spaces, access to leisure, the river and canal towpaths, town centre cultural activity, where homes will be central to the hub of activity.

“The existing and future town centre regeneration projects and programme will continue to run alongside the Stalybridge West redevelopment sites and together they will spearhead a new chapter for this town on the edge of the Peak District with easy access to the major cities of Manchester and Leeds.”

CGI of how Stalybridge's new multi-storey car park could look. Credit: Tameside council