By George Lythgoe, Local Democracy Reporting Service
COUNCILLORS from Droylsden have blasted the state of their town while Tameside celebrates a £41 million funding boost.
Ashton-under-Lyne and Hattersley received £20 million each from the Government’s Pride in Place programme.
But veteran Councillors Barrie and Ann Holland – who have both left the Labour Party – gave a furious response over what was described as a ‘war zone.’
The former branded the Concord Suite at a meeting of Tameside’s full council on Tuesday, December 2 a ‘rotting ruin.’
The now Independent said: “Congratulations, Ashton has now got £30 million in the last 12 years for the town centre. I just wonder, when is some of this money going to filter down to my town Droylsden?
“We’ve got a masterplan, but all it is is a glossy document. It doesn’t identify any finance for the town at all.
“If you want a haircut in Droylsden, get off the tram and come as we have seven barbers within 150 yards.
“There are 20 hot food takeaways. There is no bank, no building society – there isn’t even an ATM that works.
“The piece de la resistance in the town centre is the Concord Suite – a rotting ruin.
“Plus, 75 per cent of all the shops in the precinct are boarded up – it has the appearance of a war zone.”
Tameside Council leader, Cllr Eleanor Wills celebrated the recent funding boost and her response highlighted the masterplan designed for Droylsden, which the council plans to use in order to attract funding.
She added how the Droylsden Marina development site is being brought forward.
Early proposals for the Droylsden Library and adjacent Lock Keepers site include 160 new affordable homes, a pocket park, community hub and pedestrian-friendly streets.
Cllr Wills said: “We are positioning Droylsden, we are positioning every one of our towns, to shine a light on the investment opportunities for this local authority and we will continue to do that.
“In regards to the Concord Suite, we are currently working through futureproofing the Concord Suite at Droylsden and what that offer will be. There are lots of partners involved in that conversation.
“But we still have to balance our budget and ensure things are built into a capital programme.”
However, as the meeting continued, it became clear that response was not good enough for the two independent councillors.
Cllr Ann Holland later painted a picture of her recent drive through Stalybridge at 11.30pm, which she described as ‘beautiful.’
Making a comparison to coming back to Droylsden, something she regaled as ‘a nightmare.’
She told the meeting: “We get a lot of people in Droylsden talking about the town centre. There has been no money and no action.
“I am sick and tired of pleading for money and hearing about money for selective towns. We are sick and tired of being the underdogs.”