D-day looms for the town that 'belongs to nobody'

GLOSSOP HAS CHANCE TO JOIN GREATER MANCHESTER - AND MANY SEEM IN FAVOUR

- JOSEPH TIMAN & GEORGE LYTHGOE

IT’S a huge decision to make and one that would change the identity of its residents forever.

A town two miles outside of Greater Manchester is considering whether it wants to join our region.

Glossop is set to see significant change in a major shake-up of the council, but what exactly will happen is still up in the air.

People in the town seem largely in favour of joining Greater Manchester.

That’s because they want to reap the benefits of its transport system and devolved powers from the government.

The local authority shake-up would see smaller councils, within counties such as in Lancashire, be merged as the two-tier system of local government is scrapped.

High Peak Borough Council, which includes the towns of Buxton and Glossop, is currently part of Derbyshire County Council.

As the county council prepares to submit their merger proposals, one option High Peak could look at is joining with Tameside or Stockport councils in Greater Manchester.

The High Peak MP, Jon Pearce, said it’s a ‘no-brainer’ for his borough to join the city-region.

Glossop is the closest Derbyshire town to Manchester, sitting just 13 miles from the city centre. You would have to go 50 miles south of the town to find the county’s civic centre, Derby.

Many in the area have family connections in the city region. This includes those who were moved to Gamesley in the 1960s slum clearances.

Not only that, but Glossop already shares some public services with Tameside, including the NHS.

The Manchester Evening News went to Glossop to see what locals would prefer and it was a struggle to find many that wanted to stay in Derbyshire.

Mike Cowx is from Manchester but has lived in Glossop for over 50 years.

He said: “I suspect the Derbyshire folk won’t want it. There has been some antagony around the town, especially for the Gamesley lot.