New Community Forums to give residents a say on what matters in your town and to support local decision making

New Community Forums are being launched across Tameside to listen to residents and give them a say on issues which matter in their towns.

Tameside Council is replacing Neighbourhood Forums with Community Forums to move to town-level engagement, which in the first year will support the development of funding bids for small to medium-scale projects that will revitalise town centres and public and community spaces from the Pride in Place Impact Fund.

The Community Forums, which will start from 17 June 2026, will provide a space to discuss borough-wide developments, town-specific issues, and funding opportunities. Forums will also hear from local agencies and gather residents’ views on proposals for future investment, helping inform decision-making.

The initiative was developed following feedback from residents and councillors to help boost community involvement in decision making in each of the borough’s nine towns.

Each forum will consist of elected ward councillors. Agendas will include borough-wide and community matters, as well as a question-and-answer session. Partner organisations will be able to present items, and residents can submit questions, with responses published on the council’s website.

Areas will be grouped into five committee areas – Ashton and Mossley, Dukinfield and Stalybridge, Denton, Droylsden and Audenshaw, and Hyde and Longdendale – with meetings held in-person, three times a year, with locations rotating to ensure a presence in every town.

The first round of forums will run as follows:

• Denton: Wednesday 17 June, 6.30pm, at Tameside Wellness Centre, Denton.
• Droylsden and Audenshaw: Thursday 18 June, 6.30pm, at Guardsman Tony Downes House, Droylsden.
• Ashton and Mossley: Monday 22 June, 6.30pm, at St Ann’s Social Centre, Burlington Street, Ashton.
• Stalybridge and Dukinfield: Tuesday 23 June, 6.30pm, at Stalybridge Victoria Market Hall.
• Hyde and Longdendale: Wednesday 24 June, 6.30pm, at the Newton Suite, Hyde Town Hall.

Tameside Council Executive Leader Cllr Eleanor Wills said: “Everyone is welcome to attend the Community Forums – our aim is to bring people together to influence and support decision-making in their towns and give residents the opportunity to have their say on how funding is allocated.

“We really want to work in partnership with our communities and listen to what’s important to them. We’ve taken on board feedback from residents, including what they told us at public sessions such as the Cabinet in the Community sessions we held last autumn, and I hope the Community Forums will help them to get involved and help us to work together to improve local areas and opportunities for everyone.”

For more details and future meeting dates, please visit www.tameside.gov.uk/CommunityForums