EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with Jonathan Reynolds MP
HATTERSLEY has been hailed as the most successful example of regeneration in the entire north of England, says MP Jonathan Reynolds.
The train station’s new £750,000 ticket office is just the latest development in the area, which the politician remembers from when he first moved here.

And seeing that, along with the huge changes that have gone on around it – particularly the new housing and upgrading of existing stock – have convinced him it is number one.
Mr Reynolds said: “The ticket office is all part of what I think is perhaps the most successful regeneration project in the north of England, which is Hattersley as a whole.
“At the heart of that has been local people, the partnerships were put in place originally. The quality of the housing stock here, the new homes that have been built, it really has transformed things.
“It’s a fantastic place to live and it just feels a place that’s seeing more success and more good things happening.
“It’s 20 years since I first moved to Tameside, to Longdendale, and I think back to some of the streets then – the state they were in and the old Manchester housing stock that needed a lot of money going into it for repairs.

“The business plan was to build new houses and bring those others up to the right standard.
“All that’s happened and it’s gone on to be a place where, I understand, some of the new builds are among the most popular in the developer’s entire range.
“That tells you quite a lot but it’s a place where the local community – the people I first met 20 years ago – are the same people who were at the ticket office opening. That’s a wonderful thing.
“Now they’ve got the environment they deserve.”
The ticket office scheme includes a new and improved waiting area, which has workspaces and seating.
A new fully accessible toilet has also been installed featuring baby changing, grab rails and an audio description for customers with visual impairments.
Passengers can gain access via either a radar key, a train ticket QR code or video access linked directly to operator Northern’s 24-hour customer contact centre and there is user activated multiple distress cords and low-level panic buttons.
Hattersley Station currently serves around 70,000 passengers a year on the direct line from Manchester Piccadilly to Glossop.
The scheme was funded by a grant given to Tameside Council by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, through the Manchester Growth and Reform Plan Transport Strategy and Investment Plan.
Chris Jackson, Northern’s regional director, added: “The significant improvements to Hattersley Station will help to enhance the overall experience for our customers – whether that’s buying a ticket, waiting for a train, or getting information about our services.”
And Mr Reynolds believes the work, with more to come to make platforms more accessible, can attract even more passengers.
He exclusively added to The Correspondent: “It really is an improved facility and it’s a long-term project.
“When I was a local councillor, Hattersley Station had significantly fewer passengers than, say, Broadbottom down the line.
“A few things needed to happen to get it right, the first was changing the road configuration outside, so there’s a much nicer car park and a much safer facility, the new ticket office is a significant part of that.
“After that, there’s some work required on access to the actual platforms but this office is really nice.
“It’s the kind of facility people deserve and need. We’re seeing a really significant increase in passenger numbers as well, so that theory of needing to make a better environment is true.”