Issues and SWOT

strength

Keep the market at the centre of Ashton’s renewal

The Market Square project retains trading and community uses.

Proposed response: Make stall availability and access clear.

Evidence

strength

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £931 a month (August 2026) in Tameside council area. This is £528 lower than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 9.8% in Denton South to 27.7% in Ashton St Michael's — a gap of 17.8 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

weakness

Roadworks change how people reach Stalybridge

The programme includes temporary street restrictions.

Proposed response: Maintain clear step-free routes and business signs.

Evidence

weakness

Bring support closer to people in poor health

6.6% of people reported bad or very bad health in Tameside council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.8% in Stalybridge South to 7.9% in Denton South — a gap of 3.1 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

opportunity

Bring Hyde’s empty library site back into use

The approved redevelopment would add homes while retaining the historic frontage.

Proposed response: Publish the construction and housing-tenure details.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

17.5% of people in Tameside council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 11.6% in St Peter's to 22.6% in Dukinfield Stalybridge — a gap of 10.9 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Connect local skills to local opportunities

24.4% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Tameside council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 15.5% in Mossley to 28.1% in St Peter's — a gap of 12.6 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 16.2% in Stalybridge South to 33.2% in St Peter's — a gap of 16.9 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

Protect new public spaces from deteriorating

Ashton and Stalybridge are investing in surfaces, lighting and street furniture that need upkeep. This is a forward operating risk.

Proposed response: Assign maintenance responsibilities before handover.

Evidence 1 · Evidence 2