Residents invited to shape £1.3m Pride in Place funding across Tameside

Residents across Tameside are being urged to have their say on how more than £1.3 million of Pride in Place Impact Funding should be spent in their communities.

Tameside Council is launching a series of Neighbourhood Forums designed to give people a direct voice in deciding local funding priorities. The forums will enable residents to put forward ideas, influence investment decisions and work alongside councillors and partner organisations to develop projects that benefit their area.

Four online community sessions are scheduled to take place on 18, 19, 23 and 24 March at 6.30pm. During the sessions, residents will be able to hear from councillors and council officers, while also submitting questions and sharing their views via an online form or by emailing policy@tameside.gov.uk. The meetings will be streamed live through the council’s Democracy Webcast System.

Councillor Eleanor Wills, Executive Leader of Tameside Council, said the initiative is about putting communities at the centre of decision-making.

“This funding belongs to our communities, and residents should have a real say in how it is spent,” she said. “The Neighbourhood Forums are designed to put local voices at the heart of decision-making, helping us shape projects that make a genuine difference in our towns.

“We want to hear directly from residents about what matters most to them, and we look forward to working together to deliver improvements that create pride in every part of Tameside.”

The forums also signal a shift in how the council engages with residents, with future meetings set to take place in person across the borough’s nine towns to encourage greater public participation.

Each forum will include partnership discussions involving Greater Manchester Police, health services, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) organisations, and local housing providers. Members of the public will also be able to submit questions for inclusion on the agenda.

Tameside was awarded a total of £1.5 million through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, with £110,820 already allocated for 2025/26. This includes £20,000 for Eco Streets in Hyde, £30,000 for design work to improve the public realm around Dukinfield Town Hall, and £60,820 for local play equipment.

That leaves more than £1.3 million available for community-backed capital projects through to March 2027.

Funding will be focused on projects that fall within three key priorities: improving community spaces such as buildings and indoor facilities; enhancing public spaces including parks and play areas; and revitalising high streets and town centres through shopfront improvements and bringing vacant premises back into use.

Community groups, residents and local partners will be able to submit proposals during upcoming funding rounds. The next application window runs from 1 March to 30 April 2026, followed by a second round between 1 June and 31 July 2026.

While Tameside has also secured £20 million in longer-term Pride in Place funding for Hattersley and Ashton, the Impact Fund will prioritise projects in the borough’s remaining seven towns and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Residents are encouraged to take part in the forums and help shape how the funding is used to improve their communities.