The boroughwide strategy to change Tameside for the better

People in Tameside are paid less, feel cut off and don’t live as long. Now the local authority has a strategy to change all that.

Next week’s full council will officially vote on the Tameside Borough Strategy – which aims to improve the lives of residents. The strategy largely looks at playing to the strengths of the borough’s nine individual towns and increasing housebuilding, job opportunities and improving transport connectivity.

Not enough people in Tameside earn above the national minimum wage and lack opportunities, according to the council strategy. There is a desire to increase the level of support for people to find work and gain skills and qualifications. 

Health and happiness makes up a large proportion of the borough’s issues. A fifth of homes in the borough were built over a century ago, meaning they are less efficient and cost residents more to heat.

Life expectancy is also low and ‘too many people die of preventable illnesses’, due to poor physical and mental health, say council bosses. In addition to this, the strategy document says residents feel more cut off from high-quality culture and leisure activities and they feel unsafe, despite Tameside’s crime rates being generally lower than other parts of Greater Manchester.

These core issues highlighted by locals themselves are what the council is trying to change for people in their new strategy. But the local authority believes they already have the foundations to do this.

With three government cash injections of £20m already being utilised in Ashton, Stalybridge and Denton – the council hopes to build on this investment.

Most towns in Tameside already have transport connectivity in terms of trams and trains to Manchester city centre as well as Leeds. These latest investments look to develop walking, cycling and public space improvements.

Additionally, both Ashton and Hattersley have been selected to receive up to £20 million in funding from the Pride in Place programme over the next decade. This national scheme aims to tailor funding to help local communities rebuild and revitalise their neighbourhoods.
There is also the Ashton mayoral development zone hoping to bring more outside investment into Ashton as well as thousands of new homes being built.

The largest house building project would be in Godley Green, which has been earmarked for 2,150 homes. Though this project has been massively controversial, it would help significantly boost the number of modern homes in Tameside, something the strategy document says is holding the borough back.

This funding success in recent years is something the council hopes to build on in order to deliver on the strategy to overcome issues of housing, health inequalities and joblessness. They have also devised town masterplans for Hyde and Droylsden – to envision how they can prosper in the future. However, these masterplans don’t currently have major financial investment to get going.

In the Tameside Borough Strategy, council leader Eleanor Wills said: “Tameside is a borough with enormous strengths-its people, its communities and its ambitions for the future. Our Borough Strategy sets out our shared vision for the years ahead, developed in partnership and shaped by the voices of residents. 

“It reflects the challenges we face, but also the opportunity we have to work together to create a fairer, healthier and more prosperous Tameside. The Strategy provides a clear direction for organisations to take a lead on delivery, and to work together for Tameside on shared priorities. 

“It focuses on the long-term changes that will matter most to our communities and outlines how we will collaborate to improve outcomes for everyone who lives, works or visits here. Delivering this vision is not something any agency can do alone; it relies on strong partnerships, shared commitment and a collective determination to make a difference. 

“I am proud of what we have already achieved together, and I am confident that this Strategy provides the foundation we need to build a brighter future for Tameside. I look forward to working with partners, residents and communities to turn these ambitions into reality.”

Tameside’s full council will meet at Dukinfield Town Hall next week (July 14) to vote on the strategy that outlines their future.