A TAMESIDE councillor has launched a blistering attack on how Droylsden has been overlooked when it comes to regeneration.
Work is ongoing in Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge and Hyde after the authority secured money from the Levelling Up Fund.
As yet, the town closest to Manchester city centre has only had ideas following the unveiling of a masterplan.
And Cllr Barrie Holland has had enough, especially after hearing Labour colleagues, including Stephen Homer, trumpet their free parking initiative and a Shop Local pledge.
Its main building, the Concord Suite, is ‘rat infested’ and ‘rotting away,’ other sites are begging to be develop and the boards on shop windows show no signs of moving.
He also highlighted how a lack of banks means people get together in a different area.
At the meeting of full council on Wednesday, December 3, he said: “Councillor Homer spoke about spending money in local shops. I wish we had some local shops in Droylsden.
“70 per cent of all the shops in Droylsden Precinct are boarded up and have an air of permanence about them.
“In the middle of it is the rat infested town hall rotting away. The Concord Suite has been like that for eight years.
“We have five brownfield sites all with planning permission for over 12 years, all within 150 yards of the town centre that would accommodate over 400 units.
“I’d like to know if we’re going to get the same input into the town I represent that we get in other towns – Ashton, Hyde and Stalybridge
“There is free parking in Droylsden. Everybody dumps their car on the car park, gets on ten tram and goes to Ashton or Manchester.
“If you want to go to the bank, you do what everyone does in Droylsden. You go on a tram, go and stand in a queue at Cheshire Building Society, Santander or Nationwide and talk to other people who’ve come up from Droylsden.
“When are we going to get some input into my town centre?”
Cllr Holland’s anger comes after the masterplan for Droylsden revealed several ideas.
Options for the town include reinstating a branch canal route into its centre, helping its football club get better facilities and linking things up much better and generating more civic pride.
Also on the table is what to do with the Concord Suite, which some feel is ‘holding back the development of the town,’ including demolishing it completely.
Other options include options mothballing the former office floorspace and make more of the building facade and massing to become a positive feature of the town.
Others are part demolition of the existing precinct structure to create a new, flexible development opportunity site, separate from the tower, which can be marketed to operators and interested parties.
Another was similar, only with the Concord Suite Tower brought back into active use while total demolition of the central block, including the tower, to create a new large development opportunity at the heart of the town centre was also mentioned.
At the council meeting, wife and fellow Councillor Anne Holland could earlier be heard saying, ‘Where’s the democracy?’
And in response, leader Cllr Eleanor Wills told Cllr Barrie Holland to take the matter up privately.
She said: “I’m sure Cllr Holland is aware of our priorities with regards to Droylsden and the masterplan.
“And Cllr Homer is engaging with regards to regeneration visions for Droylsden. He also has access to Cllr Homer, so I’d hope he take that conversation out of this room.”