POLICE have issued an appeal to find whoever was staying at a former Ashton shop which was home to a large cannabis farm.
Officers unearthed 343 plants covering four floors of what was The Shubar on Old Street.
After many days of multi-agencies making the building safe after electrics had been tampered with, gathering evidence and ensuring everything was dismantled the plants where sent for destruction.
And a Greater Manchester Police spokesman said: “Cannabis farms can often lead to bigger criminality, including human trafficking and modern day slavery, help us to help them.
“It was evident that someone was staying at these premises, can you help us to find them and make sure they’re ok?”
Last year, planning bosses approved a scheme that would see the building demolished and replaced with a three-storey building of apartments and retail space.
Members of Tameside’s planning committee approved proposals for the construction of a new block which will contain 49 flats.
Under the approved plans it will be replaced by a building with 41 one-bedroom apartments, six studio apartments and two, two-bed flats.
Sam Thistlethwaite, the agent for the applicant, Yu Group, told the meeting: “The proposals will have a positive impact on the town centre compared to the existing buildings and we believe this is a step forward.
“The applicant is keen to invest in Ashton town centre.”
All councillors on the Speakers Panel (Planning) committee – except for Cllr Doreen Dickinson – voted to grant planning permission subject to the prior completion of a Section 106 agreement.
This will secure financial contributions of £40,764 towards improvements to the facilities at Ashton War Memorial Gardens and environmental improvements to the public open space within Ashton town centre.
A further £11,297 will go towards enhancements to pedestrian and cycleway facilities within Ashton Town Centre.