Exciting plans are in the pipeline as Tameside's Works4U college looks to expand its student and community-wide offer. 

If successful, investment of more than half a million pounds could see two key sites in the borough totally transformed and rejuvenated. 

The two buildings are the former changing rooms on Egmont Street in Mossley and historic stable block site in Cheetham Park, Stalybridge. 

Cllr Dave Sweeton worked up an expression of interest on behalf of W4U for both buildings to submit to the council.

“These are two buildings that are central to their communities and could be used as satellites of the college’s training programmes,” explained Dave. 

The expressions of interest have been accepted with the college poised to hopefully sign leases for the sites and draw up plans for their use on behalf of the college – and their respective communities.

Both buildings are dilapidated and will require extensive refurbishment and redevelopment.

Already local architects are involved in working up plans and drawings for the Egmont Street site.

The plan for the Mossley destination is to turn it into a café, open seven days a week and staffed by W4U students with further rooms available for community groups to use.

A further possible development could be the inclusion of an events area looking out across the pitches, plus the creation of a conservatory alongside the play area for mums and toddlers’ groups.

The site is also on the Tameside cycle loop, with the opportunity to create a stop-off zone suitable for mountain bikers and cycle groups. 

“Such a development would create a fantastic focus, not only for the college but for the people of Mossley and we would be bringing buildings back into life,” said Cllr Sweeton.

As a local councillor he is also keen to see the stable block at Cheetham Park saved.

“It’s the last remaining building, other than a folly left from the Cheetham family dynasty, so we don’t want to lose it,” he said.

The stables were obviously where the mill-owning family’s horses were kept, but also most likely where some of the very first automobiles in the area would have been garaged.

The idea again would be to transform the buildings into a catering facility, restoring the original cobbled area with a glass atrium connecting the two existing buildings, with the garage site becoming an open classroom for local schools and groups like The Friends of Gorse Hall to use. 

The Cheshire Wildlife Trust is also interested in working with the college as a partner to develop and use the development. 

A soft play area to add to the park’s destination appeal could also be on the cards.

The Mossley Egmont Street development is the first in the pipeline with costs involved around £100k to re-purpose the structure. 

The former Egmont Street changing rooms in Mossley

If successful, works could be completed by Christmas this year.

The Stalybridge stable block is a longer and more complex project and most likely two to three years away. 

Although not a listed building, a bid for heritage lottery funding is being investigated with the development likely to exceed half a million pounds in total alone.  

If lottery funding of £250,000 can be obtained, W4U would match fund that figure.

Ultimately, the developments will enable the college to increase placements across its hospitality and catering programmes. 

The developments and transformations will also provide jobs – not just for the college, but the community.

Cllr Sweeton said: “The college delivers training programmes to upskill people and make them more employable. 

“But alongside using these new college buildings to train people, there will be a business and commercial model to provide seven day a week facilities for the public – and naturally which the students can also feed into.

“Hospitality and catering is a big area for us and coming out of the pandemic there is a shortage nationally of people going into the industry,” explained Cllr Sweeton. 

“Restaurants are not able to stay open all week because they can’t get the staff, so we know there are huge opportunities.

“But we have always catered for that and at Bower Fold we have all the programmes for all the chefs, cooks, front of house – we are there.”

Media students from the college will also be involved in creating a documentary video to follow the entire developments over the years to come.

Looking further ahead, Works4U founder Norman Mackie said: “We have high hopes and aspirations for our students. 

“If they were able to go to mainstream education they would be going into multi-million pound state-of-the-art schools and college facilities. 

“We feel strongly that our young people deserve those facilities wherever possible. So there are hopes that any redevelopment in Stalybridge in the future will incorporate a new W4U college too.”

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