The building has been vacant for two years
20:05, 27 Oct 2025Updated 20:06, 27 Oct 2025
Empty Wilko unit in Ashton town centre, Tameside(Image: Tameside Council)
A huge step has been taken in the development of a new college building in Tameside.
Ashton’s old Wilko store will be converted into a new building for Tameside College – creating an extra 350 spaces for learners from September 2026. Following planning permission granted by the council earlier this month, new funding for the post-16 education project has been confirmed.
A cash injection from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, alongside the money received from the Department for Education for 16-19 sufficiency challenges and the college’s own reserves, contributes towards the £4.2m project.
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The proposal includes an additional eleven classrooms, examination space and ancillary accommodation as an extension to their current base in the unit next door.
The expansion into the old Wilkos, which shut down in 2023, will help the college meet growing demand for spaces, says Tameside council. In 2019, the college had 2,000 students enrolled – rising to 3,500 in 2024, according to planning papers. Now this demand is expected to increase to 4,400 by 2026.
How the new college building in Ashton will look when converted from the old Wilko building(Image: Tameside council)
The site on Market Place has been vacant for two years, having closed permanently in September 2023 as part of the wider Wilko administration process. The college will lease the land off the local authority, with a deal officially being signed on October 24.
Tameside council’s executive member for lifelong learning and culture, Coun Leanne Feeley, said: “I’m thrilled that Tameside College has secured the necessary funding to progress the transformation of this vacant unit to make this exciting development a reality.
“It will mean our young people can access a high-quality education that will open up career paths for them, while supporting the regeneration of our town centres.”
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Jackie Moores, principal and CEO at Tameside College, added: “This is a really exciting project for the College and local community, which the council has provided great support for.
“This development will help us continue to meet the increasing needs of young people in the borough, with the college doubling in size over the past seven years.”