HYDE’S Clarendon Square Shopping Centre will be demolished and rebuilt and its markets moved if a new masterplan for the town is adopted.
A blueprint has been produced, including the current centre being demolished and replaced with a four-building facility over the next five to 10 years.
Both the outdoor and indoor markets will also be housed in modern facilities close to where they stand now.
The masterplan, which will be put to Tameside Council’s executive cabinet at its meeting on Wednesday, February 14, divides Hyde into four areas – the town centre core, northern development zone, southern residential and western residential.
Much of the focus is on the town centre after only four of more than 1,300 survey respondents said it should stay as it is.
Hyde Town Hall would be a centrepoint as a community and cultural hub but the most dramatic changes will be across Market Street, which may itself become narrower.
Clarendon Square would be completely altered after experts pulled no punches on the area’s current state.
The masterplan states: “The ultimate vision proses demolition of the existing structure and a new development on the existing footprint.
“The new layout is divided into four separate components that allow pedestrian through routes even when the centre is closed.
“A new shopping centre development creates and opportunity to rehouse the existing indoor market.
“And increasing the pedestrian priority along Market Street opens an opportunity to improve the relationship between the square and the town hall.
“By reducing traffic numbers and speed, reducing carriageway width to increase the public realm and by raising the carriageway to footpath level the space will move away from being read as a space defined by vehicles to one designed for pedestrians.
“Clarendon Square has a considerable impact and without change it will be dated and will not contribute positively to the future evolution of the town centre.”
Shorter-term differences over the next year or two would be public realm improvements, as well as filling empty units which can in turn help Hyde’s creative community.
But the document adds: “The market stalls should be removed and a clear space allocated along the shopping centre frontage to allow for spill out from the retail units.
“Public realm upgrades to Market Square will prioritise the use of the square for cultural events, festival, pop-ups, and placemaking activities that bring vibrancy, excitement and diversity to the town centre.
“Hyde is a market town and markets should be central to its regeneration. The current market offer is failing.
“Our masterplan proposes new locations for the indoor and outdoor market. The outdoor market should be relocated to Market Place, within the corner of the new shopping centre footprint, sheltered by a canopy but open from the two exposed sides.
“The indoor market should be located adjacent to this, be fully covered, secure and include glass frontages.
“While plans continue to develop, activating vacant units within the existing centre is an important challenge to undertake.
“Vacant buildings and spaces are increasingly being used for creative and cultural reasons, for as little as a few weeks.
“By allowing disused or underutilised spaces to be used as ‘meanwhile’ hubs, town centres can unlock space for the benefit of creative and cultural activity, which in turn facilitates community activity and enterprise.
“Unless such platforms are provided, they will simply move on and look elsewhere to access their needs in more progressive and accommodating places.”
Of the other areas, the Northern Development Zone, the area from taking in the bus station and bordered by Clark Way, would see two firms moved.
It states: “Rhino Piling and Tameside Caravans are not appropriate for strategic gateway sites and areas so close to the town centre core.
“Although these developments offer local employment, their location doesn’t help the town centre.
“This long-term intervention proposes relocation and that their semi-industrial buildings and the associated open spaces are identified for development.”
The Southern Residential area, approaching Union Street, ‘lacks a clear identity due to its mix of architectural styles and diverse land use.’
The masterplan would emphasise Hyde’s roots as it states: “A small stretch of dual-sided terraced housing along Norfolk Street gives a glimpse of Hyde’s traditional housing stock.
“Our masterplan proposed that this area becomes a purely residential area and adopts the same principles of this original housing.”
Proposals for the Western Residential idea, which takes in Hyde Central train station, include: “New high quality canalside apartments and family housing would make this area a desirable place to live.
“A key intervention is the railway station plaza and its connections to the town centre.
“The route from the station is unattractive, uninviting, indirect and can feel threatening. It passes through industrial buildings, high retaining walls and car parks that create a character inappropriate for an aspirational town centre.
“The masterplan proposes the smaller industrial buildings are replaced with new residential developments that includes a clear and attractive tree lined route between the station and town centre.
“Improvements to the station forecourt should also be implemented to create a new gateway into Hyde.”
The full masterplan, which stretches to more than 80 pages, is certain to spark comment from people who live and who currently own businesses in Hyde.
The multi-million pound scheme would require funding and among the next steps are developing a detailed movement strategy and producing a detailed delivery plan, as well as development proposals subject to funding and public consultation.
However, those behind it – HemingwayDesign, headed by Wayne Hemingway, and WSP – believe their vision will transform the town.
They add: “Hyde needs a proactive masterplan and resulting investment to compete with other Manchester suburbs.
“Hyde is now presented with an opportunity to radically rethink the purpose of the town centre and how it will serve the local community.
“It is important to provide the right conditions that will get the town centre back to its former glory.”
Is all this going to get more shops back in the area especially shops with affordable rents it’s rental prices that have made it impossible for businesses to keep going .
Quote “The market stalls should be removed and a clear space allocated along the shopping centre frontage to allow for spill out from the retail units.” spillout? shops are lucky to have more than 20 people in the shop in the 8 hours they are open
the ppl who get paid each time to draw these make believe scenarios and write their claptrap are the only ones laughing all the way to the bank thats for sure
removing traffic from market st will just gridlock hyde
Agreed. All traffic will have to go around Hyde and them come back in near the bus station to use the M67 slip road or see huge queues on all the back streets of Hyde.
I have never seen a more ghostly town I can remember back 15-18 years ago a brilliant market and some cracking shops . There is nothing there no only pound shops and takeaways which is not what Hyde was it’s been ruined . Christmas time use to be great big Santa on the town hall loads of lights and trees now there a pathetic tree and bare minimum lights why would the council do that Hyde used to be recognised for its markets and shops and decoration s now it’s none for few pubs and pound shops and takeaways
Excellent at last some great news for hyde
Want to start Lowering the rents on shops for a start , Encourage big stores to be brought back .Hyde has the Broken window effect, Dirty looking shops Bank Building looking derelict Make them tidy them up . It’s urgently needed .
More money wasted by firms only interested in ££. Yes Hyde does need re modelling but the council have let the opening of too many takeaways, charitie shops etc. We need quality shops not pound shops. Less takeaways means the ones left would take more money and improve there businesses hopefully. We are never going to see Big name shops in Hyde again due to a change in shopping habits. Just change it to a nice place to live.
“We’ll make the centre of Hyde more like Cheshire Oaks layout, shops around the edge” – I’m sorry but quotes like this sum it all up. The whole idea of the Master Plan is crazy. I’m not against re development but everything about this master plan is not freezable. No bother I’ll just drive on by.
Totally agree with what you are saying its just somebodys stupid idea to waste money and its just not going to work in Hyde
Remember it’s only 11 years ago HemingwayDesign was the firm responsible for a for the 2 million budget for new exterior rendering on on Castleton Court, Fitzgerald and Southey Court apartments high rises in Haughton Green. It said in Tameside Correspondent’s post “those behind it – HemingwayDesign, headed by Wayne Hemingway, and WSP – believe their vision will transform the town”. I would say Haughton Green has defiantly transformed a lot since, is for the better though?? Best the people of Hyde and Tameside Planning come to see! As a result, I feel it will be crucial for the people of Hyde and Tameside Planning to actively engage in the planning process, provide input, and closely monitor the proposed changes to ensure they align with the community’s needs and aspirations. Public consultation and feedback mechanisms will play a vital role in shaping the outcome and determining whether the proposed masterplan truly enhances the town’s overall well-being.
I live in the Borough and did one of the surveys and I am quite sure that there were more than four of us who opposed a lot of what is being planned traffic. Wise. I agree. We need Hyde back to how it used to be , but that wil involve lower rents for the businesses to be able to open up there and all this is going to cause is more congestion for us who want to try and get home . While the people making the money from these plans laugh all the way to the bank when the actual people who live in the Borough struggle. All these plans look lovely but they need to be thinking about the people who live here now , who have put money into the Borough, make rents cheaper , do foodie Fridays etc and get people into the town to the shops already there. A fortune has already been spent redoing the outdoor market and look how that turned out . Lost most of the stalls due to high rents . Not enough go
In the shops to allow for supposed “ overspill “. Seriously ridiculous comment . It’s simple , lower rents to allow more stalls back and shops with good businesses we need back there , not the same as what is already there . We need alternative now not in 5-10 years !!!!!!
Market street is usually full as it is and the several sets of lights make it grid locked. So now they want to make it worse by forcing traffic to take a longer route. It’s idiocy and feels like they had no idea how the town centre works or how people live.
This will just push people through rat runs. It will make Hyde even more undesirable.
Did they even visit the town?
What a joke more people making a profit on the people of Hyde these people don’t know how Hyde works they have already ruined the markets and inside Clarendon square is always freezing cold you would have to sit outside ovenking to keep warm sorry not for me better to go out of town.
Dropping the rent on business units would make a massive – and easily a achievable – difference. No one wants a unit in Hyde because of the cost.
It’s a little to late , market street has more fast food outlets and charity shops than is fit for purpose.
Over stretched payments on shops are forcing closure,
Parking costs have risen , and yet no refilling stations for electric cars have been built.
Building societies and banks have moved to different areas.
if there is the faintest possibility that a detrimental plan that will waste funds and develop more and more useless and unproductive space exists, it is guaranteed TMBC will find it, their track record of bad decisions and imbecilic choices for every part of tameside is by historical fact a monument to the calibre of it’s staff and the councillors who blunder through like monkeys at a chess match, retail trends have changed forever and throwing money at an area that will line the pockets of private developers at the detriment the public of hyde is yet another foux par, to pave over roads that feed and supply the town centre with trade and shoppers is just a tourniquet that will cut off the life blood to hyde, there is good reason that shops are on roads and not built in the middle of an inaccessible field, if your suppliers and your customers cannot drive to your shop, then how long before the shop closes, it’s a stupid as increasing the parking fees to deter shoppers and look how that has turned out,
For crying out loud, all of these comments complain about Hyde being dead but don’t want any new plan or any changes made. Maybe go and offer your opinion at planning stage instead. Just to point out “over spill” means things like cafes and restaurants can have an outside area, you all seem to think it means queuing! I’m concerned how traffic will get to the M67 as it’s already bad enough with single lanes and crossing other traffic, if this is diverted elsewhere it will create rat runs. But the zones sound good, tree lined, walk ways, making more of the train station (make it Accessible first though eh). As long as it brings people back into the town. Everything is shut by half 4 on a Saturday, would love this to be a hub again.
I can always remember how Hyde Market ground used to look like back in the early 80s and 90’s. It was absolutely booming with people walking round and enjoying the looks from all the different stalls there. They ruined it when they started to increase the rent prices and when they took out the old seating area’s as kids used to run up and down them as they were cobbled back’s to them and the council killed it when they took the old school fountain out. I myself lived in Hyde for most of my life and miss the old days of running round the market grounds, and just wished they would of left it as it was.
How do you get to M67 from if you can no longer go down Market St?
IMHO, Hyde has long been a dump and should be levelled and have done with.
It will turn Hyde centre into even more of a ghost town. Shutting the main route to the motorway is to invite gridlock since there is no viable alternative route to the motorway junction.
Remember you have invested millions in redeveloping the Hyde market couple of decades ago in the hope of making Hyde a better place. Literally that plan failed. Now your replanning to invest billions to make newer mistakes. The last redevelopment increased the rents which made the business owners and investors flee. Reduced market stalls and parking areas/facilities meaning a reduction in shoppers. Then all the council services moved to Ashton u Lyne crippling our landmark Hyde Town Hall. Then our legendary 6th Form/Clarendon College to be closed down and eventually demolished cultivating the biggest cut in shoppers and market users. Followed by Land mark Library to close down and almost all banks relocating.
You literally stripped us off from having all key resources with your previous so called Hyde market redevelopment. Now are you planning to make things worse?
The traffic is devastating as we speak. Do you even realise what’s going to happen in terms of traffic if you shut Market St? How do you plan the diversion or to reroute to the M67?
As some honourable people commented above there will a ‘Rat Run’ and chaos without a route using Market St.
Hyde is mostly a residential area and shutting off market st from traffic will impact a serious knocking effect in the entire Hyde central making a hell for all Hyde residents.
Cutting short I am with a Redevelopment of Hyde Town Centre but with a more wiser and a strategic planning respecting the locals rights who lives nearby. We dont want the traffic to get any more worse than what we are experiencing as we speak. If you decide to shut off Market St then ensure there is a far more better diversion. Perhaps a fly over, or new highway/rd connecting Manchester Rd, Hyde through Hyde canal and Haughton Green all the way to Stockport Rd Bredbury area if that’s any help.
Just dont make it worse.
Why do these impressions have lots of people in them no one will shop there the internet shopping is king watched the slow decline in Ashton Staybridge and Hyde it will not come back no matter what is tried