Casey reworks park plans for Hartshead Power Station

After consulting with Tameside Council, the developer has opted to ditch plans for a community hub on the 72-acre site, choosing to create a protected ecology area in its stead.

Under Casey Group’s plans, Tame Valley Park would be restored to nature with new water bodies added, mosaic habitats, meadows, and woodland. This will see the project’s biodiversity net gain score increase from 16% to 24.5%, according to environmental consultant Urban Green.

Tame Valley Park would take up 55 acres of the 72-acre site, with the remaining space being designated for 162 homes, a play area, and a 1.3km Beeline route to help link Stalybridge and Mossley.

Casey Group has been working to develop the former Hartshead Power Station site near Stalybridge since 2002, acquiring the land after the power station was demolished in 1989. In the decades following, the site has become a fly-tipping and antisocial activity hotspot.

In 2021, NJL Consulting submitted a planning application on Casey’s behalf for the site, which sits on Green Belt and includes the Millbrook Sidings area.

These proposals called for the building of 162 homes and Tame Valley Park. The homes would include semi-detached and detached houses and townhouses. Of the 162, eight would have five bedrooms, 47 would have four bedrooms, 75 would have three bedrooms, and 32 would have two bedrooms.

This earlier version included a community hub in the park that came with public toilets, an event space, parking, community allotments, and a playground.

In December, Casey submitted amended plans to Tameside Council without the community hub. Changes also included moving the play area from the park to an area closer to the proposed homes. The homes themselves, a mix of detached, semi-detached, and townhouses, have had their designs changed slightly and parking has been reduced.

Amended layout for the residential part of the Tame Valley Park project. Credit: via planning documents

A Casey spokesperson noted that the adjusted plans keep 80% of the total site for habitats and accessible parkland, which is made possible by the project’s proposed homes.

“The enabling housing development will unlock over £5m to remediate and restore the area covered by the park and make planning contributions of almost £2m towards education and off-site pedestrian and cycle improvements,” the spokesperson said.

“We are also offering to enter planning obligations that bind us to long-term management and after care plans for the park and ecology areas,” they continued. “This is all backed up by a viability case to demonstrate our approach is in line with the established policy for the site.”

Urban Green and MPSL Planning & Design are on the design team for the project. Urban Green is also the landscape architect, arboricultural, and ecological consultant for the Casey scheme.

Sutcliffe is the flood risk and drainage consultant and SLHA is providing heritage expertise. Eddisons is the transport consultant. E3P is the geo-environmental expert. Roger Hannah is the viability consultant, Briary Energy is the energy consultant, and Lexington is leading community engagement and public affairs.

The application for Tame Valley Park is 21/00987/Ful with Tameside Council.