Ashton regeneration partner to be picked next year
Tameside Council’s executive cabinet is due to approve the Ashton Town Centre Vision and Spatial Framework to initiate the procurement of a developer partner for the project.
Draft timelines envision that procurement documentation would be prepared by the end of September, with the selection process commencing in October.
The council aims to conclude developer selection by the second quarter of 2026.
Ashton Regeneration Partnership
The Ashton Regeneration Partnership is expected to deliver a range of revitalising projects to the town’s core.
Tameside Council began planning to procure a developer partner for the partnership in May this year.
Back in January, the council instructed Mills & Reeve to provide legal advice regarding procurement.
Mills & Reeves, with CBRE, recommended a proposed delivery and procurement approach for the partnership.
Tameside Council has acknowledged that a partnership will take time to cement and start delivering projects.
In the meantime, smaller council-owned sites would be delivered separately to ensure short-term development continues alongside partnership negotiations.
This tactic focuses on maximising “early win” opportunities, as well as courting sites for future strategic acquisition by the council.
Ashton Town Centre’s wider regeneration vision has identified the potential to deliver an estimated 2,400 homes, 27 acres of commercial opportunities, and a Bee Network tram station to the town.
In Ashton town centre, two shopping centres, The Arcades and The Ladysmith, have been earmarked for resets.
The Arcades would be retained and will feature a consolidated town centre retail offer, with the potential for the development of a health centre, cinema, and coworking space.
The wrecking ball would be readied for The Ladysmith, where 306 homes would be erected in its place, according to a Threesixty Architecture masterplan.
In 2022, Tameside Council began a search for a development partner for St Petersfields.
Proposals are for 274 apartments, 50,000 sq ft of flexible workspace, a multi-storey car park, and a hotel at the site – previously plans had been for a £100m business district.
Grant funding
Tameside Council has been recommended to accept more than £700,000 in grant funding from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Homes England, which would be managed by the director of growth, Nicola Elsworth.
Following official approval, £260,000 would go towards supporting the council with strategic advice and due diligence to inform the Ashton Regeneration Partnership proposals.
A further £150,000 would be provided to support ground investigations and surveys on development sites within Ashton town centre.
The report concludes that the funding from GMCA and Homes England “provides a significant financial contribution” to the strategic growth work programme and provides a “proactive and positive response” to the delivery of inclusive growth in Tameside.
What’s another year after the twenty or so since the project started.
By Tannoy
Oooh wont it be nice
By Ashton moocher
The problem with socialist councils they soon run out of other people’s money ie ratepayers before anything actually gets achieved
By Pattsy
Can you tell me what is happening to the shops and cafés that exist now. What are the plans for maybe new stores e.g. a Primark which would attract more people to come in to Ashton, like they used to, and make it more popular.
By Janet Kennerley
More money wasted on a now disjointed town center. Fix what you have already got ie the empty tower block next to the bypass. Converted to flats an left empty
By Steve Jones
Is good for people in Tameside
By John
Here we go again , another TMCB Lego Project.
By Anonymous
Where will all the school , medical services. plus parking facilities etc. going to be for all the new residents ??
By Life long Ashtonian
Re Pattsy’s comment. The problem with capitalist governments, local or national, is that they soon run out of things to sell to the private sector, and the only thing achieved is shareholder gains.
By Pattsy check
A total waste of tax payers money, there was nothing wrong with the way things were before. Ashton town used to be a thriving town, now it’s a ghost town.
By Anonymous
Tameside council spending more money again , the so called new market place ‘ is a waste of money as is the other projects in question
Ashton is awful iam sorry to say
By Anonymous
How much is being spent on the various Consultants , Experts , Advisers etc
before any actual work is carried out and who will be the named Cost Controller responsible when it,s realised all the.money as gone but the job is far from finished which is par for the course with TMBC .
By Just another Tamesider