Groundwork
Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Tameside & Trafford

Haughton Green Doorstep Green is located in the district of Tameside near Denton and Ashton-under-Lyne. Haughton Green itself takes up most of the Denton South ward, which is the fourth most deprived ward in Tameside, according to the Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2000. Nationally, it is ranked 1023 out of 8414 wards and scores particularly poorly on the income, employment and health domains.

Haughton Green is an ancient village that became the overspill for 5000 Manchester council tenants. It is mainly residential, with the estate including about 1500 council houses and flats built in the 1960s. In the middle of the estate there are playing fields, a community centre and a disused bowling green. Previously, there was a children’s play area and tennis court, but these were vandalised and became unsuitable and unsafe for public use.

The definition of a Doorstep Green is a multi-purpose site that can be used by the whole community. The aims of this project were to bring the playing fields in Haughton Green back into use for the whole community by providing a sports cage, play area, footpaths and landscaping. The vision for the site is to create an area that all members of the community can benefit from, to promote a sense of community feeling that is felt to be lacking at present.

Haughton Green Community Forum is responsible for co-ordinating the project and kick-started the process by applying for a Countryside Agency ‘Doorstep Green’ grant of £3,500. Further funding has been secured from a number of sources, including Living Spaces, the National Lottery Fair Share Programme, Single Regeneration Budget, the Denton and Audenshaw District Assembly and local councillors’ discretionary ward funds. The Forum have been the catalyst for the project and have worked hard to engage local people and the range of partners involved.

The Community Forum and Groundwork Tameside carried out consultation with residents and local community groups to develop the initial proposals for the playing fields. They used a variety of methods, including a door-to-door survey, work in local schools and a family fun day where local groups set up their own stalls and entertainment and events were organised.

The project was in development for nearly 3 years and work on the site has included the installation of a Multi Use Games Area (MUGA), landscaping, the laying of footpaths, planting of trees, seating and a children’s play area.

Since the site has been completed usage of the Green has increased significantly. In particular, the MUGA is well used by young people.

Events are ongoing in the area, co-ordinated by Groundwork and the Community Forum. They have included bulb planting with local schools, community tree planting and a celebration event when the project was completed.

Haughton Green Doorstep Green was part of a research project into active citizenship, undertaken by the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, which can be downloaded from our Publications section.

The project has created a safe, secure and accessible space, where residents of all ages can meet, play or socialise outdoors.

We have tried to involve the wider community in the project as much as possible. One issue was that the original consultation took place a number of years before the project was completed – a common problem in these types of initiative where the development work can take a long time. To keep people involved and have a sense of pride and ownership over the Green, we organised a number of events around the project once the physical works started. Activities included bulb planting with local primary schools and tree planting with secondary schools and local community volunteers.

New Opportunities Fund – Fair Share - £150,000
Living Spaces - £68,000
Countryside Agency - £50,000
Tame Valley Partnership - £39,000
Denton and Audenshaw District Assembly - £13,000
Greening Greater Manchester - £7,500
Barclays Spaces For Sports - £26,000
Manchester Airport Community Fund - £9,600

Total funding secured: £363,100.00

Haughton Green Community Forum
Denton & Audenshaw District Assembly