Plans move forward for new town centre riverside neighbourhood

Plans for a major new neighbourhood in the east of Stockport town centre have progressed with the appointment of a specialist consultancy team to help shape its future.

The 22-acre Newbridge Lane area, which sits alongside the River Goyt, has been identified as one of the key opportunities to deliver new homes, green spaces and improved connections within the town centre’s £2 billion transformation, the largest town centre regeneration in the UK.

CBRE has been appointed by Stockport Council to develop a delivery strategy for the site as part of the Town Centre East Strategic Regeneration Framework (TCESRF). Working alongside the Council and Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), the team will explore how the vision for the surrounding area of Newbridge Lane can be brought to life, including options for a mix of new homes, public spaces, infrastructure and investment.

The area has the potential to become a distinctive neighbourhood that combines high-quality homes, including homes for families, alongside attractive green spaces and improved walking and cycling routes. The vision is to create a new riverside community that makes the most of its setting, supports biodiversity and flood resilience, and strengthens links with surrounding neighbourhoods and the wider town centre.

Goyt Riverside Neighbourhood is one of three prominent neighbourhoods identified through the TCESRF, alongside the Civic and Historic Heart, which focuses regeneration around Piccadilly, and Hillgate, where proposals include uncovering Hempshaw Brook to create a biodiverse nature corridor and blend heritage with modern development.

The work forms part of the wider ambition to deliver 8,000 new homes across Stockport town centre by 2040, alongside new public spaces and key social infrastructure. Accelerated by Stockport MDC, the wider town centre plans include a new town centre school and healthcare hub, helping ensure new and existing communities are supported as part of the next phase of regeneration.

New development in the east follows progress made in the west of the town centre and the MDC’s expansion earlier this year, which saw its boundary treble to cover the whole town centre in a UK first. The MDC has driven forward landmark projects, including the state-of-the-art Stockport Interchange, the restoration of the listed 18th-century Weir Mill, which has created 253 homes, and a brand-new business district at Stockport Exchange. Since 2019, £600 million private sector investment has been secured, 235,600 sq ft of employment space generated, and more than 1,500 new homes have been delivered or are on site in the town centre, with planning consent secured for around an additional 2,200 homes.

CBRE will be working alongside sub-consultants Barker Proudlove, AEW Architects, CW Studio and Ridge.

Cllr Micheala Meikle, Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration, and Skills, said:

“This appointment marks an important milestone as we look to replicate the success of regeneration in the west to the east of the town centre in a new chapter for our UK-leading regeneration.

“The area around Newbridge Lane represents a fantastic opportunity to create a new, connected neighbourhood that offers homes for people at different stages of life, makes the most of its riverside location and provides the infrastructure needed to support a growing community.

“By appointing CBRE, we are taking the next step towards turning an ambitious vision into a realistic and deliverable plan that will help shape the future of this part of the town centre for years to come.”

Adam White, Executive Director at CBRE, said:

“Having played a central role in bringing forward Town Centre West and authored the Strategic Regeneration Framework for Town Centre East, we have seen first-hand the transformative impact of Stockport’s regeneration.

“Newbridge Lane is a fantastic opportunity to further demonstrate how devolved, place-based leadership, backed by government and combined authority investment, can deliver new mixed-tenure communities at the heart of our town centres by creating the conditions for private developers and capital to crowd in. We are delighted to be shaping the delivery strategy for this new riverside neighbourhood as Stockport continues to pioneer the model for regeneration and economic growth across the country.”