Hyde Library up for grabs
Knight Frank has been appointed to market a local authority-owned site, which also used to house Tameside College of Technology.
The firm said that the 1.78-acre town centre plot could be suitable for residential, education, health or specialist retirement living as well as other uses, subject to planning.
With such a range of options on the table, no guide price has been offered. The site is freehold and being offered for sale by informal tender with a deadline of 18 August 2022.
At present, the irregular-shaped plot consists of the former library building, a surface car park and a “naturalised” plot where the now-demolished college stood. It sits on Union Street to the southwest of Hyde town centre.
The “Hyde Triangle” of Hyde Town Centre, Godley Green and Hattersley has been identified as an area for growth in Tameside’s inclusive growth strategy.
Knight Frank office agency partner Mark Bamber said: “The site offers huge potential for a variety of uses in a town centre where an approved masterplan is in place to encourage investment and growth.
“The library building, although not listed, is one of the last surviving grand Victorian civic buildings within the town and would be considered as a non-designated heritage asset.
“In principle, the planning authority has advised that it would support the re-purpose of the building in conjunction with the redevelopment of the adjacent Union Street car park and the site of the former Tameside Technical College and surrounding land.”
Library services were transferred to Hyde Town Hall in 2015 to reduce costs.
The site is a 10-minute walk to Hyde Central railway station and a five-minute drive from Junction 3 of the M67.
Bamber added: “Regional towns of character, such as Hyde, provide a rich source of potential for developers and investors looking for well-connected locations close to large centres of population.”
