"It's gone to pot": The Greater Manchester 'ghost town' that used to be buzzing

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

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