Ashton Public Realm Strategy

The Public Realm and Movement Vision and Strategy is required to provide a coherent framework to assist in realising the opportunities for active travel and public which exist within Ashton Town Centre over the next 10 years and provide a strategic co-ordinated approach to inform future delivery. The proposals within the Strategy will need to demonstrate how they support the delivery of local and GM policy including the Tameside Corporate Plan, Tameside Inclusive Growth Strategy, Tameside Climate Change and Environment Strategy 2021 – 2026, GM Transport Strategy 2040, GM Right Mix Vision, GM Streets for All Strategy and GM Made to Move Strategy.

The Vision Tameside programme, originally agreed by the Council in December 2011, recognised the critical role that high quality public realm will play in the regeneration of the Town Centre. The first phases of public realm work in Ashton have now been completed as part of the Vision Tameside programme, established a pallet of materials and progressed further walking and cycling infrastructure plans. There is now a need to refresh the overall vision for public realm in the Town Centre and establish a clear plan for delivery as part of this Strategy.

The core objectives of the Strategy will be to:

Improve the pedestrian and cyclist experience;
Improve the quality of the urban environment;
Improve connectivity between strategic sites and transport hubs,
Lower vehicle traffic speeds whilst maintaining throughputs; and
Support efficient public transport provision.

The Strategy will need to establish a comprehensive vision for the Town Centre in respect of public realm and movement and draw together a range of documents, studies and project proposals prepare in recent years, including:

Ashton Town Centre Levelling Up Fund Bid (2021)
Ashton Streetscape and Ashton South MCF proposals (2021)
St Petersfield Phase 1 Masterplan (2021)
Town Centre Streetscene Improvements (2016)
Wellington Road Movement Framework (2014)
Ashton Town Centre Development and Design Framework (2012)

Love Ashton Event – 12^th March 2022
A pop up event was held at the Love Ashton event in the Market Hall on 12^th March 2022. The responses have been collated and reviewed and will feed into the preparation of the draft public realm strategy which will be available for further comments in Summer 2022. You can find a copy of Love Ashton Consultation Boards.pdf here.

If you have any questions, please contact Damien.Cutting@tameside.gov.uk