Hattersley is a housing estate in the Tameside district of Greater Manchester, England, east of Hyde, west of Glossop and east of Manchester, at the eastern terminus of the M67. The estate had a population of 6,960 at the 2021 census. It lies within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and became part of Greater Manchester in 1974. The area was developed as a large overspill estate by Manchester City Council from the 1960s onwards.
When elected parish and district councils were created in 1894, Hattersley was included in the Tintwistle Rural District. The parish was too small to qualify for a parish council, and so was given a parish meeting instead. The parish was abolished in 1936. Its former area was split between the neighbouring borough of Hyde and the new Longdendale Urban District.
The city council transferred control of most of Hattersley's housing stock to Peak Valley Housing Association in 2006 after an attempt to transfer it to the Harvest Housing Group which collapsed when a £20 million gap in funding to refurbish the homes to new housing standards was identified. The transfer brought a £40 million, seven-year improvement plan for existing housing tied to a £140m investment from a private developer.
Selective demolition has begun to remove some obsolete housing leaving space for redevelopment and investment in education and public services. Seven tower blocks were demolished in 2001. Demolition of some of the 1960s low-rise houses on the estate took place in 2007 and 2008, these houses having deteriorated to a condition where refurbishment was not viable, in spite of these houses being just over 40 years old.
In 2012 a Tesco supermarket was opened, despite residents' concern about extra traffic.
Brady spent much of his time at the house with Hindley and together they carried out their final two killings – that of 10-year-old Lesley Ann Downey on Boxing Day 1964, and 17-year-old Edward Evans in October 1965 – at the house; they had already committed three murders while living in Gorton.
The body of Lesley Ann Downey was buried on nearby Saddleworth Moor the day after her murder on Boxing Day 1964, and found there during the initial search of the moors nearly a year later, but the body of Edward Evans was found locked in a bedroom at the house before the couple could dispose of it; the police then went on to find the evidence to link Brady and Hindley to the earlier murders. Brady and Hindley were sentenced to life imprisonment in May 1966, both remaining imprisoned until their deaths.*
In October 1987, Manchester City Council demolished the house as they could not find tenants willing to live there. The site of the house remains vacant, although the surrounding houses remain standing.
Hattersley is now home to both a brand-new community hub and a library. Many new developments have been important in kick-starting the regeneration of the Hattersley district; these include new housing, a large Tesco Extra superstore and Adventure Longdendale (a trampolining, Laser Quest and play centre). There are also plans for Hattersley Retail Park; this was originally scheduled to open in 2021, but has faced multiple setbacks.
Bus services are provided by Metroline Manchester and Go North West under the Bee Network scheme. There are frequent services to Manchester on route 201.
Construction of the estate
Renewal and privatisation
Moors Murders
Dale Cregan
Community and regeneration
Transport
Notable people
See also
|
|