Stockport is the only Greater Manchester borough not signed up to the region's joint masterplan - and has again put its own plan on hold after the government signalled changes to the planning system are in the pipeline. But while the uncertainty continues, progress on the £1bn regeneration of Stockport's town centre continues apace - with work progressing well on the new transport interchange, the redevelopment of a Grade II listed mill and a new 'intergenerational community'.
Developers also continue to table plans for schemes that both catch the eye and promise to bring new homes to the borough. And trains will again stop at one village for the first time since the 1960s after plans for a new £9m station were approved by planners.
Below are are some of the key projects could transform the town in 2023 and beyond.
READ MORE : Campaigners joy as controversial housing plan for 'much loved' fields refused
Weir Mill
Work on the £60m redevelopment of this historic cotton mill - which stands in the shadows of the town’s iconic viaduct - began back in July. The ‘transformational’ scheme will see 253 new homes created at the Grade II listed site through a mixture of conversion and new-builds.
The existing 18th and 19th century mill buildings would house 87 of the new homes, with two new builds providing the remaining 166. The scheme also includes new cafe-bars, delis and independent shops.
It is the first project to be brought forward under the much-vaunted regeneration of Town Centre West - also known as the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC). While restoration of the mill has been widely welcomed, the inclusion of a 14-storey apartment block has proven controversial, as it will obscure views of the town’s landmark viaduct.
Developer Capital and Centric says that, once complete, it will offer ‘a neighbourhood oozing with personality and packed with spaces for residents and visitors to explore’.
Warren Street
Hundreds of ‘high quality’ new homes are to be built on the former Sainsbury’s site in Stockport town centre. Planners last month gave the go ahead for proposals that will see more than 500 flats and 34 townhouses spring up on the three-acre plot, in Warren Street.
A total of 573 homes will be spread across a trio of buildings, rising in height from five to 15 storeys. The scheme also includes space for a range of potential uses such as shops, cafes, gyms and creches.
A report to the council’s planning committee said the ‘high quality’ development’ would complement the ‘transformational regeneration’ already underway in the town centre. Planning officer Emma Curle also told members it would enhance the town centre while preserving the setting of neighbouring historic buildings.
St Thomas Gardens
Work on transforming this Grade II-listed former hospital site into an ‘intergenerational community’ are set to get under way before the end of the year. Plans for a radical redevelopment of the Shaw Heath complex - which began life as a Victorian workhouse - were given the green light back in April
Proposals include 68 new homes - a mix of apartments, mews houses and new-build terraces - as well as a 70-bed care home dubbed The Academy of Living Well. Most of the historic buildings will be preserved, such as the original workhouse, dining room and administration buildings.
However the original infirmary, new infirmary and girls’ workshop have all fallen into serious disrepair and will be demolished.
Stockroom
Stockport’s new ‘21st century library’ is set to open at Merseyway in the autumn.Provisionally dubbed ‘Stockroom’ it will be five times larger than the long-standing Grade II-listed library on the A6, allowing it to display 5,000 more books.
The 47,000 sq ft ‘learning and discovery’ centre has been bankrolled by the government’s Future High Street’s Fund - and will also include a cafe, performance area and sensory room. After being signed off in February, then councillor leader Elise Wilson hailed it as a ‘game changing opportunity’ to improve the town centre and ‘breathe new life into vacant retail which will attract thousands of much needed visitors back to Stockport’.
The project proved highly controversial due to the relocation of library services - with thousands signing petitions and the council’s Tory and Lib Dem groups both opposed to the idea. However, the current Central Library will now remain open to the public as an adult education centre and retain ‘a comprehensive range of library services’ including 2,500 of the most popular fiction books.
The hub is likely to be officially christened ‘The Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Library and Discovery Centre as a 'lasting and fitting tribute' to the monarch's long reign.
Transport Interchange
Stockport’s old bus station has been demolished to make way for a ‘state of the art’ £120m transport hub.The Daw Bank site was cleared last yea r and this summer work got under way on the bridge section linking the train station to the park and interchange areas.
Some of the columns set to support the new town centre park have also begun to emerge into the sky. Part of the ongoing £1bn regeneration of the town centre, it will boast 20 bus stands, a fully-covered passenger concourse, a seated waiting area and ‘real time’ information screens.
The huge scheme will also feature a two-acre rooftop park as well as a 17-storey tower block housing nearly 200 ‘high quality’ apartments. It is expected to open in 2024.
Roundhouse
A developer wants to transform an historic railway building as part of a ‘landmark’ residential development that also includes an ‘eye-catching’ roundhouse. The plans would see the Grade II-listed engine house - on the fringes of Stockport town centre - converted into two apartments, while the eight-storey roundhouse would provide a further 52 flats.
Manchester-based Promised Way Ltd is proposing a mix of one, two and three-bed homes for the land near Stitch Lane, in Heaton Norris - which was previously used by a vehicle sales firm. The property firm says the scheme has been designed to emphasise the 'immense historical importance' of the engine house, and enhance its visibility from Wellington Road.
King Street West
Housing association Great Places wants to build 73 one and two-bedroom apartments across two adjoining blocks on disused land at King Street West. The half-acre plot sits within the ‘Town Centre West’ regeneration zone - which local leaders boast will become the region’s ‘coolest, greenest’ urban village, eventually boasting 3,500 homes.
Part-funded by Homes England, the development is intended to complement other developments proposed for the area by adding ‘high-quality’ affordable homes to the mix. Every apartment will be available through the government-backed Rent to Buy scheme - giving residents the opportunity to save for a deposit by reducing the rent to 80pc of market rates for at least five years.
Cheadle railway station
Trains are set to run from Cheadle for the first time since the 1960s after proposals for a new railway station were given the green light in December. Bankrolled by the government’s Town’s Fund, the stop will be on the Chester to Manchester (Mid Cheshire) line next to the Alexandra Hospital and just 100m from Cheadle High Street.
Plans for the £9m station - set to open in 2025 - include a single platform with covered shelters, car and cycle parking, passenger drop off facilities and electric vehicle charging points. A £1m package of related walking and cycling improvements also provides access to the station, High Street and other routes.
The scheme was signed off by the council’s planning committee subject to serving notice on a nearby car dealership, which says a new shared cycle lane and footpath would make it 'impossible' for it to stay open.
The firm has 21 days to respond to the notice.
