Have your say on Hyde Masterplan

Consultation opens this week for everyone to have their say on the draft vision and masterplan proposals being put forward to reinvigorate Hyde town centre.

The creation of a masterplan for Hyde is crucial to support the town’s future as it will enable the council to seek further funding sources to realise plans for the future. It will present the driving vision for regenerating the town centre and the strategy and approach needed to help make it a reality.

Since September 2022, the consultant team have led a series of meetings and workshops with businesses, residents’ groups, students, and other stakeholders. The initial fact-finding survey received over 1,300 responses, and around 200 people attended in person events including the pop-up shop in the Clarendon Centre.

The valuable insight and feedback from this engagement has been considered and has shaped the vision, development objectives and designs for key areas of the town centre.

Proposals seek to re-imagine and utilise Hyde’s most important assets, such as the Town Hall, with a cultural and community focus. Whilst 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.

The priorities also include a re-imagined shopping area which would offer more accessibility, including pedestrianised areas and traffic calming measures. Improved public realm is proposed throughout the masterplan area, creating safe, attractive pedestrian environments that can be enjoyed all year round, with improved seating, lighting, and increased planting and greenery.  All of which will help to amplify Hyde as a great place to live, work and visit as well while meeting the needs of current and future generations.

A survey will be hosted online, posters will be going up across the town centre alongside a social media campaign encouraging everyone to take part. There will also be local in person community engagement sessions and local drop in’s taking place at the Clarendon Shopping Centre in Hyde.

Wayne Hemingway, partner at HemingwayDesign said:

“The draft vision and masterplan proposals for Hyde town centre have been shaped by 1500 residents, workers and visitors of Hyde who shared valuable insight during the initial fact-finding period. We believe the proposals are a true representation of the engagement thus far and we look forward to receiving further feedback to inform the preparation of the final masterplan report.”

Cllr Vimal Choksi, Tameside Executive Member for Towns and Communities, said:

“We are looking to develop a masterplan with aspirations which could help to achieve real change in Hyde town centre. Input from residents and businesses is vital to ensure that we shape the towns future the way that people want us to, they are after all the ones who will use it. The team will be engaging with a wide range of local community and business groups throughout the consultation. I would encourage everyone to take a look at the ideas and aspirations and then please give us their valuable feedback for consideration by completing the short survey and let’s keep talking about Hyde.”

To view the plans and provide feedback via the survey go to www.thinkhydetowncentre.co.uk. The consultation will be open until Sunday 9 July 2023.

In person sessions will take place at the Clarendon Shopping Centre in Hyde on Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July 2023 and information will be on display at Hyde Market and in Hyde Library and the Bangladeshi Welfare Association where residents can pick up a paper copy of the survey. For further information the team can be contacted at Hyde.masterplan@tameside.gov.uk.