Hyde Town Centre is to receive a ‘prescription’ of expert support to help it build back from Covid and revitalise for the future.

The town is one of 70 nationally to be selected for the Government’s High Street Task Force Programme (HSTF), which brings together a range of expert organisations on reinventing and restructuring places to improve their economic vitality.

Tameside Council will work with the task force team to diagnose Hyde’s key strengths and challenges and develop a ‘prescription’ of transformation so it is best placed to serve the community now and in the future.

The package of support will include targeted expert consultancy, mentoring, workshops, access to local footfall data, and training programmes.

It will ensure a joined-up approach to work already taking place in the area and will have knock-on benefits for other local town centres as successful ideas and projects are rolled out borough-wide.

The next steps for the programme will be for an expert advisor to research and visit Hyde town centre and meet key local leaders, councillors and stakeholders such as businesses to identify opportunities and barriers for improving the town.

A plan of action will then be developed, with a package of specialist support offered depending on the research findings.

For example, this could include expert help with planning matters, visioning, design, branding and marketing, leadership, mentoring and training.

Tameside Council Executive Member for Growth, Cllr Oliver Ryan said: “This is a great opportunity to bring in expertise and learning on the successful transformation of town centres and tailor this specifically for Hyde.

“It will help us identify how to breathe new life into the town centre and help it meet the needs of the local community both now and in the future, while also taking a coordinated approach with other projects to regenerate the area and develop community assets, including Godley Green Garden Village.

“It will also enable us to develop and test ideas which we can then use to benefit our other Tameside towns.

“This is early days in the process, but I’m excited for us to work with the task force and the local community to together see the project take shape and have an impact.”

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