Tameside's Town Centres

The Council supports vibrant and viable town centres in Tameside. Working with partners the Council, is helping to create the right environment for town centres in Tameside to flourish.

This approach recognises that the private and community sectors play an important role in securing the necessary investment and utility of town centres. However, it acknowledges that the Council has a key enabling and facilitating role to play in helping create the right conditions for successful town centres.

Town centres are at the heart of Tameside’s local communities. They are the hub for economic, social, civic and leisure activities and provide an insight into the people, culture, diversity and economic prospects of the area. Town centres are the economic engines of our communities, propelling enterprise, driving prosperity and providing jobs for local people.

Seven town centres serve Tameside’s communities, these are:

• Ashton-under-Lyne
• Denton
• Droylsden
• Hattersley
• Hyde
• Mossley
• Stalybridge

The Retail Hierarchy of Tameside’s seven town centres within existing planning policies is classified as:
 

Ashton-under-Lyne is Tameside’s principal town and it’s administrative and economic capital. Ashton Town Centre is therefore of critical importance when considering town centres in Tameside. However, this primacy of Ashton does not diminish the distinctive roles and functions of the other town centres.

The Portas Review was commissioned to assess the state of the nation’s high streets and town centres, and to make recommendations for the future. The review sets out Mary Portas’ views on reasons for the decline of high streets, her vision for the future and key recommendations in order to attain that vision.

Many of the Portas Review recommendations rely on Central Government intervention but one of the main recommendations is the establishment of ‘Town Teams’ to provide a clear vision and strategy for town centres, supported by strong operational management arrangements.

The Government’s initial response to the Portas Review was to call for applications for a number of high street pilots in England.

The Tameside Portas Pilot bid was developed around Stalybridge. The bid was led by the local MP and business community, with Council support in March 2012.

The Stalybridge Town Team is operating successfully with results already being realised. The model currently operating in Stalybridge will be used as a model for other Town Teams.

The Borough is committed to establishing a Town Team in each of it’s Town Centres that has a recognisable high street. These have been identified as:

• Ashton
• Denton
• Droylsden
• Hyde
• Mossley
• Stalybridge

The other five high streets will be given Council support to develop a Town Team, based on the model currently in operation in Stalybridge.

The Portas Review describes ‘Town Teams’ as visionary, strategic and strong operational management teams of local stakeholders including key landlords, large and small shopkeepers, council representatives with specific knowledge of planning and development, the Civic Mayor or MP, other local businesses and service providers, and local residents.

Each team will look to focus on their own individual strengths and aim towards positive improvements, work on overcoming current economic and social issues and to maintain a good working relationship with their partners.