Leader's Blog  
  

Investing in our Towns for Inclusive Growth

Friday, 04 June 2021

I’ve said several times over the past few months that our key priority for the next financial year is to ensure Inclusive Growth in Tameside. We know that, as a country, inequality is one of the greatest challenges we face. This fact was laid bare during the coronavirus pandemic, as we saw how the imbalances and injustices in our society made certain groups of people far more vulnerable to serious infection and death than others.

Adopting a policy of Inclusive growth seeks to challenge this on a number of levels. It will make sure that equality is considered as much as economics when it comes to making decisions about Tameside’s future. And when the time comes to reap the economic and social benefits of these decisions, we will make sure that they are felt across the entire borough instead of being enjoyed by a select few.

While we have a number of ongoing projects to meet this goal, we always must keep in mind that Inclusive Growth is also local growth. That’s why we are giving particular focus to our towns to transform them into the economic engines, social hubs and centres of civic pride that they can and should be. I want to take the opportunity here to explain in detail what this specifically means for a few of them. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it should help to give you a flavour of our big ambitions for Inclusive Growth in Tameside.

Ashton
 

Our focus in Ashton is the creation of high quality jobs, building on existing assets such as Ashton Old Baths and Tameside’s proud history of engineering and industrial innovation. These plans hit a significant milestone recently with the completion of the Old Baths Annex, which will provide digital incubation space for a number of start-ups and small businesses. This will be complemented by the opening up of 29,000 square metres of additional commercial space at St Petersfield, and preparation work has also begun to bring forward Ashton Moss which will create a further 200,000 square metres of employment space to support approximately 4,500 new jobs.

Hyde
 

After a number of unfortunate and unforeseen delays over the years, I’m delighted to announce that we’re putting the finishing touches on the extension to Hyde Leisure Pool. The upgraded facility boasts a new 25m, six-lane swimming pool, changing rooms and spectator seating with disabled access throughout. Work is also ongoing on our masterplan for investment and regeneration in Hyde town centre, which will be complimented by a “Streets for All” approach to improve the public realm, build new walking and cycling links, and reduce traffic within the town centre.

Stalybridge
 

In Stalybridge we have reached agreement on £1.27 million match funding for the development of the Historic England High Street Heritage Action Zone, which will provide financing to restore historical buildings while preserving their unique character and history. A further £90,000 has also been awarded from Historic England to fund a cultural programme to make the high street a more attractive, engaging and vibrant place for people to live, work and spend time.

Denton

The former Denton Pool site, which has been surplus to requirements since the opening of the Tameside Wellness Centre, is due to be demolished in order to bring forward land for housing. This will be facilitated by £1.9 million from the GM Brownfield Housing Fund, which will be used to accelerate the clearance and delivery for development of this area as well as a further site on the building footprint of the former Two Trees School.

Droylsden



At the beginning of the year we consulted on the future of Droylsden Library, with the intention of getting resident’s views on relocating the service into more modern and fit-for-purpose accommodation in Guardsman Tony Downes House.

When put together, I believe that these ambitious and far-reaching plans for our towns will lay the foundations to secure Inclusive Growth in Tameside, and pave the way towards securing better jobs, pay, skills and housing for all our residents. I intend to keep you all closely updated as they progress in the months to come.
 

Posted by: Executive Leader

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