Good news for the market town of Ashton as Tameside Council approves a masterplan led by LDA Design to create a new business neighbourhood.
St Petersfield is set to become a desirable location for the innovation, design and tech sector, bringing quality jobs into the area. The masterplan will make St Petersfield a more connected part of the town through a mix of welcoming new public spaces, revitalised streets and uses.
The site is already home to the Victorian Grade II* listed Ashton Old Baths, now a digital incubator centre and co-working space, and the vision seeks to capitalise on this success to catalyse further growth. It will create a framework for wider regeneration and investment and bring coherence to previous ad hoc development. The plan provides scope for new homes, 193,000 sq ft of commercial space and a hotel.
Designated as an employment area, St Petersfield will benefit from a Dark Fibre network ensuring it has amongst the best digital connectivity in the country. It forms part of a new Mayoral Development Zone in Ashton, which also encompasses Ashton Moss West where LDA Design is shaping plans for a new centre for advanced manufacturing.
Mark Graham, a director at LDA Design and project lead for St Petersfield, explains the vision behind the approved masterplan: “The textile industry shaped Ashton, and the cotton mills which remain today are a legacy of this town’s importance in the Greater Manchester landscape. Now it’s time for a new kind of industrial landscape to emerge, with creative and digital start-ups working alongside more established businesses to create new patterns of working and a strong commercial offer in a town centre location.
“Our ambition is to make the most of every opportunity to create a sociable neighbourhood with high-quality public realm that fits in and supports the whole of the town.”
Tameside Council was awarded almost £20m from the government’s Levelling Up Fund last year to revamp the town centre. The council is now actively seeking a development partner to bring forward the St Petersfield scheme.
Image: Marvin Chik with LDA Design
