The former Wilko store in Ashton-under-Lyne town centre is set for a new lease of life, as a home for learning. Tameside College has today officially signed the lease for the vacant building, paving the way for its transformation into a new education facility.
Following confirmation of capital funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) through their Local Growth Fund (LGF), Tameside Council has officially signed a lease with Tameside College for the former Wilko unit in Ashton-under-Lyne. The agreement marks a key milestone in the £4.2 million project, which will transform the vacant store into a new education facility.
Located next to the Tameside One council building on Market Place, the old homeware store will become an extension of Tameside College’s current base, featuring eleven new classrooms, examination areas and ancillary facilities. Once complete, the development will provide an additional 350 spaces for learners, helping the college to meet the growing demand for post-16 education in the borough.
Funding for the scheme has been secured through a combination of GMCA’s Local Growth Fund, Department for Education 16–19 sufficiency funding, and the college’s own reserves.
A special signing ceremony between Tameside Council and the college was held today (Friday 24 October) to formally sign off the lease and showcase the exciting redevelopment plans.
The college aims to complete the refurbishment in time to welcome its first cohort of students by September 2026.
Tameside Council’s planning panel approved the proposals on October 15, and work on the transformation of the former Wilko unit is expected to begin in the coming months.
The project comes at a crucial time for post-16 education in the borough. With a rising population and more school leavers than ever before, demand for college places in Tameside continues to grow. A peak in the number of school leavers is forecast for 2026/27, raising concerns about potential shortages of post-16 places and an increase in young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Leasing the space to Tameside College will help the Council meet its statutory duty to ensure sufficient post-16 provision and create more opportunities for local young people to learn and develop without leaving the borough. The move will also support Ashton town centre regeneration, bringing extra footfall and activity to the area.
Councillor Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture, said: “I’m thrilled that Tameside College has secured the necessary funding to progress the transformation of this vacant unit to make this exciting development a reality.
It will mean our young people can access a high-quality education that will open up career paths for them, while supporting the regeneration of our town centres.”
Jackie Moores, Principal and CEO of Tameside College and Clarendon Sixth Form College, added: “This is a really exciting project for the College and local community, which the Council has provided great support for. This development will help us continue to meet the increasing needs of young people in the borough, with the college doubling in size over the past seven years.”
The redevelopment continues the Vision Tameside strategy, a decade-long partnership between the college and council to deliver high-quality learning environments and support the skills needs of local and regional employers.
Credit: Tameside Council
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