Greater Manchester’s Tameside transformation is taking shape as the borough rolls out a £10.8 million market‑square upgrade and a suite of housing, transport and employment projects that together could total around £1 billion.
Covered market and cultural hub promise new life for Ashton town centre
A modern covered space for roughly 100 traders is nearing completion in Market Square, a short walk from Ashton‑under‑Lyne railway station. The upgrade also brings a refreshed public area, aiming to draw shoppers and visitors back to the historic core.
Over the square stands Ashton Town Hall, a Grade II‑listed neoclassical building finished in 1840. The authority is looking for a development partner to restore the hall and turn it into a cultural, leisure and commercial anchor.
In May, the borough acquired the 151,502‑sq‑ft Ladysmith Shopping Centre with a loan from the Good Growth Fund, overseen by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. While the centre still trades, officials plan to keep retail on the ground floor and add a sizable residential block above.
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Housing drive and strategic growth unit set the pace for the next two decades
The council’s long‑term plan calls for more than 5,000 new homes over 20 years, including the Godley Green Garden Village, which will host about 2,150 dwellings on former green‑belt land in partnership with the MADE Partnership.
Nicola Elsworth, director of strategic growth, said outline planning consent has been secured for over 2,000 homes, two local centres, a primary school, a new health centre and extensive open‑space networks.
Other residential projects feature a 192‑home affordable scheme at Droylsden Marina, backed by Legal & General, CERT and True North, and a 250‑home development in Stalybridge West that will incorporate cultural assets and streetscape upgrades.
The first phase of Stalybridge West has already been approved: Bankfoot APAM will build 102 affordable homes.
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Employment remains a pillar of the strategy. The Office for National Statistics reports that manufacturing employment in the borough is nearly double the Greater Manchester and UK averages, while health sector jobs are 1.6 times higher and retail and hospitality 1.4 times higher.
“Our strategic employment site at Ashton Moss is slated for about 500,000 sq ft of advanced‑manufacturing space,” Elsworth said, noting the strong local supply chains that support such growth.
To coordinate these efforts, the borough created a strategic growth unit a year ago, bringing together development, planning and transport teams.
Overall, the transformation agenda hinges on coordinated public‑private funding, a focus on transport‑led regeneration, and a commitment to delivering both homes and jobs for the borough’s more than 230,000 residents.