A man sits down with a chippy tea at Droylsden Shopping Centre. Two friends chat over a pint. A mother pushes a pram past a row of empty shops, the sound of her voice bouncing off the closed metal shutters.
This precinct used to be thriving. The square was buzzing with shops and a popular market. But following transport works, a global pandemic and now a cost of living crisis, some say the area has become a “ghost town”.
“It’s just cr*p,” Droylsden resident Bill Stewart, 67, says. “It went downhill once the market went. They’ve built some shops, but it’s not the same.
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“They used to charge for parking and then people stopped coming when the tram was built at the crossroads because it was a mess for ages. People stopped coming because of the hassle of just getting here. They don’t charge you for parking anymore but it’s too late. It’s sad.”
Some shoppers say they have to to travel to nearby towns, like Ashton-under-Lyne, just to buy a pair of shoes. “We need shops like Crownpoint Shopping Park (Denton) which has shops that people want to go to,” 75-year-old Anthony Smart added.
“The council has forgotten about it. About 10 years ago, the shops were open. It was very clean and tidy. It’s very run-down. The council aren’t doing any road sweeping and the drains are clogged. I think the rent prices are too dear and that’s why shops can’t stay open. They can’t take enough money.”
Cllr Gerard Cooney, leader of Tameside Council, told the Manchester Evening News improvements were coming to Droylsden - and that councillors were also 'frustrated' with the pace of change.
He insists that the precinct, which is privately-owned, has a 'big future' - but also urged people to support local businesses if they want them to survive. He denied there were any issues with street cleaning or drains in the area.
The decline of high street businesses who might function as 'anchor' tenants - creating a magnet effect for local businesses - has a knock on effect on smaller traders who might benefit from the passing trade. At the same time, small traders are vulnerable to losing trade to supermarkets.
And the UK high street has suffered a particularly tough two years due to coronavirus pandemic. Lockdown measures saw shops temporarily shut for months at a time while customers were told to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.
Figures released in September 2021 by the Local Data Company showed more than 8,700 high street chains closed in 2021. The actual number is likely to be higher, once updated figures consider the last three months of the year.
But footfall in some of the most popular UK stores was on the decline even before the pandemic hit. High street chains have largely blamed the rise of online shopping and changes in consumer trends for less people visiting branches in-person.
Droylsden still has discounters like Wilko, B&M and Poundland, but locals say it's well 'downhill' from its glory days.
“It’s gone to pot,” catering worker Jane Lee, 55, says of Droylsden. “It used to be great. There used to be a a square, it was a buzz of shops. It had a greengrocers and things like that. There’s a lot of empty shops now; it’s just not very nice anymore. We used to have a market which was shut down – that was well used.
“It’s getting better for pubs, but shopping wise, we could do with some nice eateries. We have to travel for clothes, we only have a Select. It’s really sad because Droylsden used to be a nice buzzing shopping area.
“People used to travel here; it was good for young and old. It’s sad for the older ones. Rent is too expensive; it’s a shame.”
Christopher James lives in Clayton but grew up in Droylsden. “It’s like a ghost town, that’s the only way you can describe it,” the 76-year-old says.
“Obviously all the shops have closed down. The area itself has gone a bit downhill, it’s not as clean and from what I’ve heard there is a lot of crime, especially around the tram stop. It used to have a market; it was a lot busier than it is now. It was quite popular, it was buzzing.
Couple Elsie and Harold Lightfoot, from Failsworth, visit Droylsden often. The pair say they moved to Wales for several years and were shocked by the state of the town when they returned.
“It dropped off while we were away for a few years,” Harold, 84, says. “We came back after living in Wales and it all seemed different. There was a popular restaurant that did really well and a travel agents. It had everything you needed.”
New-Era Properties took ownership of Droylsden precinct in 2019, and spent £100,000 refurbishing units facing Villemomble Square.
Tameside Council has granted planning permission for new venues, and the company has said it is looking to invest ‘substantial sums’ across the site over the next five years, while hoping to take control of the former NatWest Bank unit, which has been empty for many years.
Patrick Franks, the company’s head of property, told a council meeting earlier this year that they were aiming to attract a food store operator into the town centre as a ‘catalyst’ for wider regeneration.
And he said since taking over the site in 2019, the company's investment had brought in food and drink operators and a large dental practice, with other prospective tenants making enquiries. But, in the meantime, locals like Bill Stewart find the lack of amenity a 'nightmare'.
“There’s no bank, no building society, they’ve all gone,” he said. "You can blame online shopping. I think people just walk down here for something to do. I’ve got used to doing it all online now, but I don’t like it.”
Tameside Council Executive Leader, Cllr Gerald Cooney, provided a detailed account of progress on the precinct in response to questions from the M.E.N.
“Tameside Council do not own the precinct or the car park and shops at the back, these are all privately owned by New-Era Properties Ltd," he said.
“I have met with the new owner and lead officer Patrick Franks, Head Of Property of New-Era Properties Ltd, regarding what they are planning, and are currently doing with the precinct.
“No one spends millions buying this level of real estate, just to leave it to rot. As I’ve said the Council have never owned the precinct. It’s always been privately owned. The new owners want to change the precinct and have plans to change the offer there.
“That sadly, for the time being, means closing shops to refurbish them, and walking around the area, you can see the green shoots and the growth New-Era are creating as they redevelop the precinct.
“There are some great new bars and restaurants there now, which you have featured in your publication. The NatWest still own the Bank, which New-Era want to buy as part of the all-round offer and remove a number of void properties.
"As a Council, we are in discussions with them regarding the Concord (the main, 1970s building) becoming apartments or an Aparthotel with the tram, meaning that they are a ride away from all the great attractions in Greater Manchester.
“Across the road there will be nearly 600 to 700 new houses being built in Droylsden, which again are easily accessible to the city centre with the tram, but also with easy access to our great countryside and facilities. There is huge demand to live here with new houses being sold off plan.
“The Cotton Tree Pub has been sold to a private legal firm, part of that sale requires it to be refurbished and not just left in the state it is presently in. We know that they are underway with procuring the necessary construction works to achieve that.
“There are no issues with blocked drains or street cleaning - the burst on Market St was a pipe under the road and was the responsibility of United Utilities, not the Council, which has now been repaired with the road reinstated.
“New-Era are looking to attract a popular food chain at the back of the Precinct, which will encourage more people to do their main shop in Droylsden Town centre and spill over into the other shops.
“With a new concert venue opening at Eastlands, this will mean there is a big demand for hotel rooms as the Village Hotel in Ashton is already full most weekends. Droylsden on the tram line is regarded as being attractive to developers to accommodate this demand."
Cllr Cooney said market traders had 'come and gone without success as people no longer want to buy from markets for various reasons'.
"Small traders will not survive if we don’t spend with them. The same with the café on the corner which shut," he added.
“This did not just happen in Droylsden, most small shops have closed in town centres across the country because people most people now do their shopping at the big stores, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl either in person or online, accelerated by the pandemic.
“New-Era, the precinct owners are aware of this and are future proofing their precinct vision. Across the road is the Marina and old library site, which we managed to get a grant to deal with brown field contamination issues to further enhance the offer. We are looking to open the passage from the library side into the Tesco side, which was the old Canal under the road bridge. This will create a lovely walk around the canal and Marina.
“We as councillors who live in Droylsden and use the shops are as frustrated as everyone else regarding the time it takes but we must also reflect on the fact we have had a hiatus as we have faced the pandemic and this has also challenged the viability of small businesses. Together with people shopping locally the precinct has a big future.“
What New-Era say
Patrick Franks, head of property at New-Era Properties, said: “The precinct is inextricably linked with the former Town Hall (the Concord Building) above and to preserve the opportunity for a reimagination of the Concord Building it has been necessary to keep a number of units vacant.
“Where units are not linked to the future of the Concord Building, New-Era is carrying out a phased refurbishment and is in negotiations with potential tenants for all the refurbished units not already occupied.
“We believe the Council are supportive of our wider vision for the area and that we will be able to continue to work with them in order that further progress on delivery of our overall scheme can be delivered soon.
“As a landlord, we would always seek to provide a good mix of uses. Currently within the centre we have fashion shops Select and Peacocks. We are always keen to hear from any new retailers who wish to open in the town.
“Droylsden has many great restaurants and cafes – Industry, Hideout, Tortuga, Giovanni’s, Black Hills Café, The Pearl and Safari Narrow Boat Café (apologies to the other establishments not listed) and several pubs offering food – Pig on the Wall, The Snipe, The Lazy Toad, The Church, The Haddon Hall and others.
“We are in negotiation with new operators wanting to open in the centre, but it is important that, given the recent epidemic that those establishments have just struggled through, local residents continue to support what they already have - nothing encourages new investment more than thriving existing enterprises.
“The old market was long gone before New-Era’s interest in Droylsden. The traditional markets were the first victims of changes in shopping habits with the rise of supermarkets. Markets that succeed today are a very different concept and while larger regeneration is delivered New-Era happily works with TMBC and others to facilitate the regular Maker’s Market held on Villemomble Square.
“We are investing in the town because, despite the purported sentiments you are picking up, we believe Droylsden is a great town with potential to be even better.
“The town has great heritage - Fairfield Moravian Settlement, St Mary’s, Beehive Mill etc – Great leisure infrastructure – a marina, canal walks, a sports centre, parks etc - Great transport links - Metro link, good bus routes, mainline trains, good free town centre parking and proximity to the motorway network – Great housing choice with further new homes being delivered currently and perhaps most importantly a great community with a determination to support their town.
“What we believe is currently missing is principally connectivity within and about the town. New-Era is pleased to be working with Tameside Council not only to deliver our own part of the regeneration jigsaw but to encourage other stakeholders to help deliver transformational change for the town.“
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