THE BIG redevelopment plan for Ashton-under-Lyne may spread to Droylsden.
Ashton Regeneration Partnership is the name given to amalgamated schemes that include Ashton town centre, St Petersfield and the Ashton Moss employment area.
Now council papers have revealed the possibility of growing it to include neighbouring Droylsden, which has its own masterplan.
The Ashton plans are now at the stage where procurement of developers ‘capable of delivering the Council’s and Ashton Mayoral Development Zone (AMDZ) board’s regeneration vision for Ashton town centre’ can start.
As The Correspondent told, more than 10,000 jobs, 1,500 homes and 190,000 square metres of employment space can be created in the scheme after it was selected by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
A new railway station for Ashton Moss is also proposed – but it would see land at what is called Ashton Moss West being released from the Green Belt.
It is hoped that will bring other benefits, including proposals to extend the Metrolink, a quality bus corridor and active travel improvements.
But documents for a meeting of Tameside Council’s executive cabinet on Wednesday, August 27 revealed the possibility of incorporating Droylsden.
There, a masterplan has proposed reinstating a branch canal route into its centre, creating a new park running alongside it to the marina.
Helping its football club get better facilities is also included, along with 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.
Now the schemes may merge after it was revealed areas there may be included in ‘soft market testing’ for Ashton.
Documents state: “Consideration is being given to whether the scope of the Ashton Regeneration Partnership should be widened to include opportunities in Droylsden Town Centre, in line with the Droylsden Masterplan Framework.
“The potential for development of the council’s assets in Droylsden will be added to the soft market testing prospectus to gauge the market appetite for this.
“Broadening out the Ashton Regeneration Partnership in this regard could achieve cost savings for the council, rather than having to retender this opportunity at a later date.
“This will be balanced against legal advice regarding procurement.”
Regarding Ashton, they add: “By merging the development opportunities at St Petersfield and other town centre sites, a single Ashton Regeneration Partnership can be formed with the capacity to regenerate large sections of the town centre.
“This marks a positive evolution of both proposals and reflects legal advice on the previous procurement strategy for St Petersfield, as well as property advice indicating a market appetite for a larger scale project.
“The next stage of this larger combined project will be a robust standalone procurement process to secure a private sector development partner capable of delivering the council’s and AMDZ Board’s regeneration vision for Ashton town centre.”