An old coal-fired power station site will be transformed into a new park and houses.
The old Hartshead Power Station and Millbrook Sidings in Stalybridge have been vacant for 35 years since.
The site is now due to be transformed after planning approval was granted. A Park and 162 new homes are planned.
The site was shut in the 1980s. Planning committe members in Tameside heard numerous applications promising garden centres and leisure facilities haven’t been followed through.
Casey Group Limited now has a £12.5m masterplan comprising four development ‘zones’.
Zone one is focused on ponds and surroundings at the Printworks, which would be protected as an ‘ecology area’.
Zone two, where a community hub was planned, has been redesigned to become an ‘ecology enhancement area’ on the former power station site to the north of Spring Bank Lane.
Zone three is woodland along the route of a former railway line, while zone four is the former railway sidings off Crowswood Drive – where the 162 homes are planned.
Resident Lee Holden, who represented objectors to the plan at a hearing, said: “This project is not financially viable, so why are we going ahead with it? This won’t happen because it will run out of money. There is no benefit for locals.
“We have been promised country parks, community areas, and wildlife areas and all this for the small concession of building some houses.”
Councillor Adrian Pearce spoke against the ‘dreadful scheme’, citing percieved damage to the green belt.
Coun Christine Beardmore said she was concerned about traffic on the already-busy Huddersfield Road.
The plans were ultimately approved. Neil Pickering, representing Casey Group Limited at the meeting, said the project was financially viable.
“We know this is a controversial and dividing plan,” he added. “I think we can all agree that the redevelopment should’ve happened straight away [when the power plant was demolished].
“Our proposal is investing £12.5m into the land. We believe this balances the needs of the area as well as the practicalities of the site.”
Changes were made to the plans following hundreds of letters of objection.