Stalybridge West housing contest crawls forward
A development prospectus has been prepared and will come to market later this year as Tameside nudges towards its longstanding objective of delivering 400 homes on council-owned sites in Stalybridge town centre.
Cabinet members this week discussed an update to the town centre strategy, following the award of £19.9m from DLUHC capital regeneration projects pot in the March 2023 Budget.
So far, there has been progress to:
- Repair and restore Stalybridge Civic Hall, should be finished by the summer
- Designs and surveys for improvements to Ashley Cheetham Art Gallery and Library, due to start on site in July
- Public realm works ongoing and at various stages of completion, around Market Street, Melbourne Street, Trinity Street and the bus station. Due for completion spring 2024
Julian Jackson, director of place at Tameside Council, said in his cabinet report to Cllr Jack Naylor, executive member for inclusive growth, that a “development prospectus has been prepared for the council-owned Stalybridge West sites. A strategy for delivery of the enabling infrastructure and procurement of a partner for future residential development is being prepared and will be subject to a future report in 2024.”
The council trumpeted the cluster of sites for residential development in 2022 and endured several unsuccessful bids to the Levelling Up Fund. Securing the cash from another government pot last year enabled works to move forward.
The report stated there had been interested from the property market in residential development.
The next two years will see a package of capital projects continue around the town. This includes preparing for the Stalybridge West development parcels with “potentially a new multi-level non council car park facility in the town centre and a pedestrian and cycle bridge over the River Tame.”
There are eight plots in the Stalybridge West development area, each either owned by Tameside or the Greater Manchester Pension Fund. These include surface car parks and vacant land.
