Stalybridge's bus station could be redeveloped under proposals being considered by town hall chiefs.

Tameside Council had commissioned a study into how Stalybridge bus station could be improved and better link up with the railway and key destinations within the town.

The current bus station, which has been at the Market Street site since the 1960s, has four stands and currently is served by around seven buses an hour.

However a report to cabinet states that it is not ‘ideally located’ for pedestrian access.

Last year the cabinet had signed off on funding to explore creating a ‘transport interchange’ which would have seen the bus station moved towards the railway station on Rassbottom Street.

But this did not make it as the preferred option in the study. It concluded the best option was to provide new bus stops at ‘key locations’ in the town centre, including by the station and redeveloping the existing bus station.

“The option is considered to be cost effective, deliverable, and is forecast to deliver tangible town-centre wide improvements to bus and rail connectivity and to bus infrastructure generally within Stalybridge,” the report states.

The redevelopment of the station, which is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester, could support ‘wider regeneration efforts within the town centre’, it adds.

Chiefs say it would align with the Stalybridge Greater Manchester Mayor’s Town Centre Challenge and complement the work coming through in relation to the Stalybridge High Street Heritage Action Zone

The council’s director of place, Julian Jackson, said the study identified options to increase connectivity in Stalybridge town centre ‘and beyond’.

The next steps were to look at delivering it within ‘future funding streams’, he added.

Councillor Eleanor Wills, who represents Dukinfield and Stalybridge ward, said: “We’re seeing Stalybridge thrive recently in terms of footfall so ensuring that we’ve got full accessibility is right and responsible for the town.”

Her ward colleague Coun David Sweeton added: “I really welcome the timing of this because we’ve got some great plans for Stalybridge, the economic team are really working through that.

“We’ve got £70k for some soft market testing, this is incorporated in that. We need to know where our bus station is going to be, where our connectivity is, so perfect timing.”

Council leader Ged Cooney told the meeting it was ‘well worth investing in’, describing it as a ‘town for the future’.

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