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Council exploring future of Droylsden's Concord Suite

Tuesday, 7 March 2023 10:50

Tameside Council is currently exploring options for the future of the Concord Suite in the heart of Droylsden. 

The iconic building has remained unused since the Greater Manchester Pension Fund relocated to their new site at Guardsman Tony Downes House back in 2015. 

It had previously hosted events in the ballroom and the Prime youth club when it was open. Named after the town's motto 'By Concord and Industry', it was initially utilised as a municipal building by the council in the early 1970s.

The site was also home to the popular Carriages nightclub for a number of years, where Gerry Marsden performed back in the mid 1980s. The building also hosted a varied array of antenna, satellites and communications equipment. 

READ MORE: A trip down memory lane inside the Concord Suite

The council has had a long-term strategic plan for Droylsden for a number of years, which has developed recently with the town's shopping centre coming under the ownership of New Era Properties.

The company has put considerable investment in refurbishing retail units and improving lighting in the underpass area of the centre. The addition of free parking for three hours for the car park was a considerable boost for businesses, particularly during the Covid pandemic. 

Tameside Council Executive Leader Ged Cooney, who is also a Droylsden West councillor, visited the site on Friday (3 March) with other councillors and Patrick Franks from New Era Properties. 

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Cllr Cooney said: "We don't own the precinct, it's on a 'floating lease' and we own the inside of Concord but the rest is owned by New Era.

"They have put a lot of money into the centre and they really do have some fantastic ideas. With the stadium developments down the road, the Droylsden councillors are even more enthusiastic to have this back being used.

"They have put their money here and we have to just go through the legal process to get a resolution. But let's be clear, Droylsden town centre is open and it’s going to be fantastic.

"You have all the new developments like the Library, the marina, The Jam Works and everything else to attract people. What New Era don’t want is just an evening economy but throughout the day with people coming into this precinct.” 

Patrick Franks, from New Era Properties, added: "We’ve invested in the town because we want to see it thrive. With regards to the Concord obviously it’s still a council asset that we want to bring into our wider regeneration plans so the town is seen as somewhere that is ‘on the up’ and will provide a facility and destination or the local community." 

Hear Patrick Franks and Councillor Ged Cooney (pictured) speaking about the future of the Concord Suite in the video at the top of the page. 

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