Stockport Town Centre West, Stockport for Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation with Stockport Council, GMCA and Homes England

In its first five years, this 53-hectare town-centre regeneration has delivered 1,200 new homes, 16,000 sq m of Grade A office space, a transport interchange, a 0.8-hectare (2 acre) rooftop park, and £600 million of investment, creating over 3,000 jobs. Part of a £1 billion investment programme, it aims to double the town centre population, generate £5.9 million in business rates, and £117 million gross value added annually. The second phase includes 1,600 more homes and more green space.

Who is on the project team?

Stockport Council

GMCA

Homes England

Describe the context of this project and the point it has reached in its development. Who was there in this place before development, where have they gone, who is there now and who will be there in future? When is the project expected to be complete?

 A former market town, it was once an industrial hub. The town saw significant change in the 1960s with the construction of Merseyway Shopping Centre. By the early 2000s the town was in decline with changing shopping habits and economic downturns undermining the high street retail which had become the town’s primary role. In 2013 Stockport Council moved in to create a town centre fit for the future. The MDC was established in 2019 to accelerate progress. Its core purpose is to create an exemplar urban neighbourhood, bringing long term vitality to the town centre by doubling its resident population, delivering much needed new homes and driving investment into Stockport’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Five years on, the first phase of development is now complete with residents moving into new homes and local communities enjoying new amenities. Progress on second phase projects – including a further 1,600 homes - is advancing at pace. When complete, TCW will have transformed from industrial land into a buzzy, residential neighbourhood, home to c.7000 people.

How are you seeking to foster community, welcome visitors and attract tenants? How are you responding to changing demographics, behaviour, market context, policy, transport habits and the climate crisis since winning planning?

The masterplan for TCW reimagines the neighbourhood as an intrinsic part of Stockport town centre; by bringing this vision to life the MDC is stitching new developments into the fabric of the town. We are doing this by: Delivering high quality public spaces which connect TCW to the town centre. These include a new 2-acre park, public walkways along the River Mersey (previously inaccessible) and a new public square opening up the viaduct arches. Creating an exciting programme of cultural events such as Art Battle’s Party in the Car Park and the Tour of Britain. Delivering education, health and community facilities such as a new health hub and early years centre of excellence to support the growing population of the town. Maximising community value of land with meanwhile uses. 

Please explain the governance of the project, such as its viability, purpose, motivation and any consultation and community engagement undertaken. 

The MDC vision is to transform 30 hectares of brownfield land into an exemplar sustainable neighbourhood and in so doing tackle three of Stockport’s biggest challenges – town centre vitality, inequality and decarbonisation. This vision guides what we deliver and how we leverage that investment to maximise local economic, social and environmental impact, through: Providing a transformational boost for town centre businesses through the tripling of the town centre population. Creating over 5,300 new jobs in TCW itself and actively seeking opportunities to ensure end use jobs are secure and pay the Real Living Wage. Harnessing unprecedented skills and employment opportunities for more than 2500 residents aspiring to work in the construction sector through the establishment of the ‘One Stockport Construction Hub’, delivering inclusive skill pathways into employment. Minimising embodied carbon emissions by retrofitting existing buildings including the 1960s Royal Mail sorting office into the Mailbox, Grade II listed Weir Mill, St Thomas’s Hospital and a 1898 former school into the What if? Hub. Transforming a car-dominated area adjacent to the M60 Motorway into a fully walkable neighbourhood with radical highways re-engineering and investment in new walking and cycling routes. Doubling the amount of green space in the town centre. Partnering with leading developers in the field of environmental sustainability to lead the way on Passivhaus standard residential development in the borough. Accelerating the decarbonisation of the Stockport energy system through the delivery of a District Heat Network powered by renewable energy