Executive Cabinet approves plans for Ashton and Stalybridge Mayoral Development Corporation following positive public consultation

• Tameside Council's Executive Cabinet has approved plans to move forward with the proposed Ashton and Stalybridge Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC).
• Public consultation ran from 27 May until 8 July 2026, with overall support for the creation of an MDC (61%).
• Residents were also consulted on proposals for how the MDC would be operated and structured, including its name, governance and operational powers.
• The next phase will see the MDC business plan refined and plans submitted to Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) for approval in the autumn.
• Plans for the Ashton and Stalybridge MDC were introduced by Andy Burnham to drive transport-led housing, jobs and investment, as part of Greater Manchester’s regeneration strategy.

Plans for a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) in Ashton and Stalybridge have taken a major step forward, following approval by Tameside Council's Executive Cabinet on 26 August.

The proposed MDC will bring together Ashton town centre, Stalybridge town centre, Ashton Moss and Guide Bridge under a single delivery body aligning investment in housing, jobs and town centres with better transport connections. The ambition for the MDC is to accelerate regeneration and create a new model for transport-led regeneration, unlocking more than 3,000 new homes and thousands of new high-skilled jobs.

The decision follows a public consultation that ran from 27 May until 8 July 2026, in which 61% of respondents backed the creation of the MDC. Residents also shared their views on proposals for its name, boundary and governance. That feedback will help shape the next stage of developing the plans.

The next phase will focus on finalising the MDC’s business plan, before proposals are submitted to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) for approval in the autumn. Subject to that approval, the plans will then be submitted to Westminster and is expected to be formally established in early 2027.

The plans build on the Ashton Mayoral Development Zone (AMDZ), established by former Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in 2024, to drive forward regeneration opportunities across key sites in Ashton.

The Ashton and Stalybridge MDC forms part of a wider programme of Mayoral Development Corporations championed by Andy Burnham during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, to accelerate regeneration and drive devolution across the region. Central to the vision for Tameside is the proposed Integrated Transport Hub that will see Ashton become one of the best-connected towns outside of London, bringing together rail, Metrolink, bus and active travel in one seamless hub. Andy Burnham described the plans as setting “a new template for transport-led regeneration in the UK”.

The work forms part of a wider programme of more than £1 billion of public and private investment across Tameside. The Council's Growth Unit, established in 2025, has been progressing the delivery of more than 5,000 new homes, 3,000 new skilled jobs and the creation of more vibrant, distinctive town centres.

The Cabinet papers are available to view on the Council's website.

Councillor Eleanor Wills, Leader of Tameside Council, said: “The Executive Cabinet approval of the Ashton and Stalybridge Mayoral Development Corporation is a really important step for the future of these two towns and for the wider borough. MDCs are being established in locations that matter most to Greater Manchester’s growth, and this decision speaks volumes about the role that Ashton and Stalybridge can play in that regional growth vision.

We have a big ambition to use better transport connections to unlock new homes, jobs, investment and opportunities for local people. Bringing Ashton and Stalybridge together through the MDC gives us a strong platform to do that and to show what transport-led regeneration can achieve, which can be replicated nationally.

“There is still a lot of work to do, but we now have the opportunity to build on the strong support we have heard through consultation and to make the case for the investment needed to transform transport and create long-term growth.”