Tameside Reporter • 1st September 2025

Tameside plagued by empty home 'crisis', housing consultant says

More than 600 properties in Tameside have been found to be empty over the past ten months, a survey has said, stoking concerns the borough is not doing enough to alleviate pressure on local housing services.

The figures come as over 700,000 homes remain empty across the UK, according to the most recent government figures, with 264,884 being empty for over six months.

The independent survey was carried out by retired estate agent Stephen Gooderson, who has been surveying properties in the area...

Tameside Reporter • 1st September 2025

Ashton's Ukrainians stand tall for Independence Day

It was a day for both solemnity and hope for Ukrainians across the globe on Sunday (24th August) as the country observed their 34th Independence Day - their third since the current Russian invasion was launched in 2022.

Since the start of the invasion, Russia is now said to occupy 20% of the country, with at least 49,431 civilian deaths being recorded by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as of the start of August.

The day commemorates the landmark 199...

Glossop Chronicle • 5th August 2025

Pulling no punches

One of Glossop’s up-and-coming young champions is set to face his biggest challenge yet as he takes on the World Kickboxing Organisation Open World Championships this weekend.

Jack Doyle, 18, is set to face off against Holland’s Jayden Kooijman on Saturday, just months after he beat South Shields’ Lucas Britton to first place in the English Open in February.

“It’s a K1 World Championship, which a bit like Thai boxing, but they don’t allow elbows and things like that,” explained Dave Breed, own...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Angela Rayner suspended from Unite amid Birmingham bin strike controversy

Unite the Union has suspended deputy prime minister and Ashton-Under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner in the latest escalation of the Birmingham bin strike row.

The Labour-run Birmingham Council has been in a long-running dispute with Unite the Union since January, when bin workers staged a walkout after the council announced plans to scrap Waste Cycling and Collection Officer roles - meaning some workers would see an £8,000 pay cut.

Unite the Union claimed the number of affected workers could be as high...

Tameside Reporter • 4th July 2025

Mossley murderer John Belfield sentenced to life after killing Thomas Campbell

A drug dealer who tortured and murdered a man in his home in Mossley has been sentenced.

John Belfield, 31, has been sentenced to life in prison after killing Thomas Campbell on July 2, 2022.

Belfield was alleged to be the 'mastermind' behind a plot to rob, torture, and murder Mr Campbell after he got into a relationship with Belfield's ex-partner, Demi-Lee Driver.

Manchester Crown Court heard this week that the killing followed a week of hostile surveillance, which involved planting a tracki...

Oldham Reporter • 24th June 2025

Hundreds of historic child grooming gang cases to be re-examined

A national task force is expected to reopen 287 closed cases relating to child sexual abuse.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper made the comment to a committee of MPs on Tuesday, months after vowing for a local inquiry to take place in Oldham, where she says work is "well under way".

Five suspects were arrested this morning (04/06/2025) in Oldham and Tameside as part of an investigation into historic child sexual exploitation.

GMP has confirmed the men are being held in connection with alleged offe...

Tameside Reporter • 24th June 2025

Tameside and Morecambe boxers unite after death of young champion

Two boxing clubs from Morecambe and Tameside have joined together to fundraise after a young boxer was killed on Easter Sunday.

Members of the Coastal Amateur Boxing Club were left in shock after one of their members, Leo Mountain, was fatally struck by an HGV on Sunday morning.

Emergency services were called just after 3am following the incident on the Bay Gateway, with investigations still ongoing.

Leo, who was 18 years old, was described by members of the club as ‘a fantastic young man’....

Tameside Reporter • 18th March 2025

'Missed opportunities' to have safely delivered baby - coroner

A coroner has said there were ‘missed opportunities’ to have safely delivered a baby who died in the Royal Oldham Hospital in April.

Yahya Muhammad Hayat was born via emergency C-section in Tameside Hospital, more than thirty-five minutes after doctors realised he had no heartbeat.

During the operation, doctors also found a uterine rupture – a tear in the womb. It is not known when this happened.

Yahya was resuscitated after thirty minutes of CPR and drugs, before being transferred to Royal O...

Tameside Reporter • 1st September 2025

Tameside plagued by empty home 'crisis', housing consultant says

More than 600 properties in Tameside have been found to be empty over the past ten months, a survey has said, stoking concerns the borough is not doing enough to alleviate pressure on local housing services.

The figures come as over 700,000 homes remain empty across the UK, according to the most recent government figures, with 264,884 being empty for over six months.

The independent survey was carried out by retired estate agent Stephen Gooderson, who has been surveying properties in the area...

Tameside Reporter • 1st September 2025

Ashton's Ukrainians stand tall for Independence Day

It was a day for both solemnity and hope for Ukrainians across the globe on Sunday (24th August) as the country observed their 34th Independence Day - their third since the current Russian invasion was launched in 2022.

Since the start of the invasion, Russia is now said to occupy 20% of the country, with at least 49,431 civilian deaths being recorded by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as of the start of August.

The day commemorates the landmark 199...

Tameside Reporter • 11th August 2025

Appeal as woman dies after being found unconscious

Greater Manchester Police have launched an appeal after the death of a woman found unconscious on the Oldham-Tameside border.

The woman, who was 70 years old, was taken to hospital with 'serious injuries' after being found unconscious on Waggon Road at approximately 2:30pm on Sunday (10th August).

The Serious Collision Investigation Unit (SCIU) is now appealing for information from the public to find out how she came to be on the road.

Anyone who saw the incident or has dashcam footage should...

Glossop Chronicle • 5th August 2025

Pulling no punches

One of Glossop’s up-and-coming young champions is set to face his biggest challenge yet as he takes on the World Kickboxing Organisation Open World Championships this weekend.

Jack Doyle, 18, is set to face off against Holland’s Jayden Kooijman on Saturday, just months after he beat South Shields’ Lucas Britton to first place in the English Open in February.

“It’s a K1 World Championship, which a bit like Thai boxing, but they don’t allow elbows and things like that,” explained Dave Breed, own...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Inquest opened after Dukinfield man dies in Cumbria

An inquest has opened after the body of a Dukinfield man was found on a beach in West Cumbria.

David Brunt, 65, of Dukinfield, was found on a beach near Whitehaven after being reported missing in April.

He had allegedly been seen boarding a train to Blackpool, where CCTV captured him on the pier - more than seventy miles away from where his body was discovered.

Cumbria Police were called to Parton beach at 10:25am on 1st June after reports of a body.

At the time, a police spokesman said the...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Veterans' support scheme to launch in Tameside

Tameside Council have confirmed they will be among one of the first areas to benefit from the government's new VALOUR network, which aims to offer tailored support to veterans across the north of England.

Tameside will be among several councils across the region to benefit from the scheme, which was launched in partnership with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, and West and South Yorkshire.

The government has confirmed they will be investing £50 million into the scheme, and say it wil...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Tameside water to see millions in investment

United Utilities has promised to invest £215 million into improving water quality across Tameside across the next five years.

The plan comes as United Utilities is set to spend more than £13 billion over the next five years to improve water across the UK, covering over 500 kilometres of rivers and lakes to protect areas and improve drinking water for customers.

The company is set to upgrade three of its treatment works and reduce the number of times that up to 20 storm overflows in the area op...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Government announces plans for neighbourhood health service

The Government has announced its latest plans for a neighbourhood health service to be introduced as part of its 10 Year Health Plan.

The plan comes as part of the government's wider Plan for Change, and is expected to see millions more patients across the UK being treated closer to home.

The move will see the introduction of neighbourhood health centres staffed by nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, dentists and palliative care staff, and will reduce the need for people to trav...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Benefits bill changes 'shouldn't be looked at in isolation', Tameside MP says

MP Jonathan Reynolds has spoken out after the government's U-turn on its benefits bill, which will see Pip claimants better protected and some universal credit cuts reversed.

The MP for Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley, Longdendale and Dukinfield described the current benefits system as 'not fit for purpose', and has welcomed the government's most recent changes to its original proposals.

The Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill was voted in by Parliament on Tuesday (1st July). It...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Chaos as M60 is shut off in both directions

The M60 has been closed off in both directions between the Junction 25 Bredbury Interchange (Bredbury A560) and the Junction 1 Pyramid Roundabout (Stockport (Cen), A5145).

The road has been shut off following an eight-vehicle crash, in which an HGV was said to have crossed through the central reservation and struck 'several lamp columns in the process'.

As a result, another HGV had a full load of beer barrels fall into the carriageways. The collision caused several ruptured fuel tanks which re...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

M60 closed for a second day after horror eight-vehicle smash

Drivers are being warned to expect a second day of closures and delays across the M60 after an eight-vehicle crash yesterday (7th July).

The road was shut off after an HGV crossed through the central reservation and struck 'several lamp columns in the process'.

As a result, another HGV had a full load of beer barrels fall into the carriageways. The collision caused several ruptured fuel tanks which resulted in a large amount of diesel being spilled across the carriageway.

Emergency services w...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Council issues statement after Mottram woman fined for flytipping

Tameside Council have urged people to be more cautious when asking others to remove waste on their behalf after a Mottram woman was taken to court.

Candice Parkins, of John Kennedy Road, Mottram, was ordered to pay £618 after several black bags of household waste was dumped in a rural lane in Hyde.

Tameside Magistrates’ Court heard on 1 July 2025 that waste enforcement officers from Tameside Council attended Apple St, Hyde, on 23 July 2024 to investigate reports of flytipping.

Ms Parkins was...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Road works fury in Mossley as images show child in range of digger

Local residents have been left in shock as images from a road works site show a child several feet away from an active digger.

The images were released on Tuesday (8th July) on Mossley Town Council's Facebook page, featuring a site at the top of Stamford Road.

The area had been earmarked by the council since December to build seven terraced homes next to the San Giorgio restaurant in Mossley, despite outrage from residents.

The proposals, tabled by Wickens Estates, received 47 objections, and...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Tameside to benefit from £500M family programme

Families in Tameside will soon benefit from a new service set to give support to parents and young children, the Government has announced.

Best Start Family Hubs are set to be introduced to every authority in England by 2028, at the cost of £500 million.

The project plans to build on existing family services in local areas to provide a single point of access for health, education and wellbeing. They will also allow parents to access additional maternity services and receive support for wider i...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

No holds carred at classic show

Dozens of older models were driven into Broadbottom on Saturday for a full weekend featuring music, entertainment, and a judging panel - hosted by the High Peak Classic Car Group.

Crowds of attendees pushed through the damp weather to take in the vehicles, which included models from as far back as the 1930s, put on display by owners from the Tameside Car Collectors; Hare & Hare Classic Vehicle Club; Glossop 4 by 4 Club; and the Tame Valley Vintage and Classic Car Club.

The event also saw a fan...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust among lowest for negligence claims

A recent report has found Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Trust has one of the lowest rates of medical negligence claims in England.

The figures were unearthed by medical negligence legal support group Medical Negligence Assist through Freedom of Information requests made to the trust, which revealed a total of £471,248 being paid out to patient claims - the lowest of the 32 health trusts surveyed.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, the second-lowest, paid £1,175,491 in compensation claim...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Healthwatch Tameside threatened with closure

A Healthwatch Centre in Tameside has been threatened with closure as part of wider government plans to reform health services in England.

Healthwatch Tameside is part of a network of centres across the country that work independently to gather feedback on local health and care services.

Healthwatch England reports to Parliament every year to highlight issues or concerns within local services, and are also consulted on the annual NHS mandate, which sets the objectives for the NHS for the year a...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Tameside Council recommends new chief executive

A new permanent chief executive has been recommended for appointment at Tameside Council.

Emma Alexander currently works as managing director at Derbyshire County Council, and was recommended for the role at Tameside this week.

She has previously worked at neighbouring Oldham MBC until 2016 as executive director of corporate and commercial services and Trafford MBC until 2009 as corporate director.

Her appointment will be subject to a meeting next week (15th July), with the council hopeful sh...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Tameside Council announces £1.5 million SEND investment

Tameside Council has announced they will be investing £1.5 million into SEND education across the borough.

The investment will see an additional 133 school places opened up to students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) in Tameside.

The plan was approved following a public consultation, and the first phase will take effect from September of this year.

An inspection of SEND services for children in Tameside was released last week, with Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Senior member of Tameside Council to shift to Warrington

The interim chief executive, who first joined Tameside Council to assist after the loss of their previous CEO, has landed a government role helping other struggling councils.

Harry Catherall was appointed as a ministerial envoy via a letter sent by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government this week.

The revelation came as Tameside Council announced that a new candidate had been put forward for the role of chief executive, which Catherall temporarily took over after previous CEO Sa...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Angela Rayner suspended from Unite amid Birmingham bin strike controversy

Unite the Union has suspended deputy prime minister and Ashton-Under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner in the latest escalation of the Birmingham bin strike row.

The Labour-run Birmingham Council has been in a long-running dispute with Unite the Union since January, when bin workers staged a walkout after the council announced plans to scrap Waste Cycling and Collection Officer roles - meaning some workers would see an £8,000 pay cut.

Unite the Union claimed the number of affected workers could be as high...

Tameside Reporter • 5th August 2025

Stalybridge teacher sentenced for abuse of position of trust

Sam Olsson, of Stonecliffe Terrace, Stalybridge, was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court after he "groomed" his student into a sexual relationship.

A maths teacher at Bolton UTC - which has since been replaced with the unrelated Bolton UCS - Olsson also worked as a conductor for the Besses o' th' Barn brass band in Whitefield.

Bolton Crown Court heard how he began contacting his student through his personal email after she reached out to ask for help with schoolwork.

Prosecutor Joe Allman said: “...

Glossop Chronicle • 5th August 2025

Bomb scare in Charlesworth

A bomb disposal team was called out to a village near Glossop on Thursday (3rd July) after the discovery of two unexploded shells in the area.

Derbyshire Police officers were called after two gardeners in Charlesworth discovered the bombs, which were confirmed to be two 18-pounder artillery shells.

Bomb disposal experts from Nottingham were called in at roughly 9:20am while residents were advised to stay inside.

A cordon was put in place in Town Lane, Long Lane and Marple Road while the bombs...

Glossop Chronicle • 5th August 2025

The new permanent chief executive of Tameside Council on a salary of £195,000

Emma Alexander was approved as the new Chief Executive of Tameside Council at a full council meeting held this week.

Emma Alexander currently works as managing director at Derbyshire County Council, and was recommended for the role at Tameside last week.

Now, after a successful council meeting on Tuesday (15th July), she is officially set to start her role in November.

After previously working at both Oldham and Trafford Councils, Alexander’s new role will see her take over in overseeing issu...