Planning approval for Heaton Norris apartments

A round tower of 52 apartments overlooking the railway in Heaton Norris has been granted planning approval by Stockport Council.

Councillors signed off on plans for the scheme at a meeting of its planning committee on 14th November, which also saw approval granted for Royal Nawaab’s plans for Stockport Pyramid.

The site, between the railway line and A6 off Stitch Lane, also includes the grade II listed former LNWR Engine House, which will also be converted into two additional apartments. Developers, Promised Way, first tabled plans for the brownfield site in Autumn 2022, and argued residential conversion would help secure the future of the 19th Century listed building.

The engine house, built by the London Northwestern Railway (LNWR) in the mid-nineteenth century, was converted to be used as a substation in 1975, and sits next to a former LNWR goods warehouse, now used as a self-storage facility and which is not part of the scheme.

The new 52-home apartment building will comprise a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom homes. The ground floor properties will also boast a private garden, with other apartments constructed with balconies and a rooftop communal space. The property also benefits from being 300 metres from Heaton Norris Park, which developers argue justifies the reduced amount of green space for residents on the site.

The scheme’s distinctive cylindrical shape, designed by Stockport-based architects PZvi, aims to see the building act as a landmark and gateway to the town centre. Bicycle storage and only limited private car parking will be provided for residents, given the property’s location close to regular bus links with Manchester city centre on Wellington Road North and being in walking distance of Stockport town centre and rail links from Heaton Chapel station.