Second community conversation launches on updated Stockport 8 masterplan

A second community conversation on the £250 million plans for Stockport 8, a mixed residential neighbourhood to the west of Stockport town centre, has launched.

Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) and ECF – a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General and Muse – have also revealed new first look images and an updated masterplan for the eight-acre site following feedback from the first conversation earlier this year which saw more than 300 responses from local people and businesses.

Located on land either side of King Street West and next to the iconic railway viaduct, it will be one of the largest developments within the 130-acre Town Centre West masterplan, reconnecting the area to the town centre and creating a walkable, integrated community under the railway arches.

The new images and updated masterplan illustrate how the joint venture has used the feedback from the first conversation to help shape the regeneration plans, which include:

• A diverse mix of up to 1,200 high-quality, energy efficient homes aimed at every stage of life and fully connected to the surrounding communities.
• Spaces for businesses and community uses at ground floor level, which complement the existing town centre offering.
• A walkable neighbourhood centred around new public spaces to bring the community together and provide exciting settings for people to meet, relax and enjoy.
• Improvements to the environment around the busy and vital road network that runs through this part of Stockport.
• A green ‘spine’ running through the masterplan connecting the new public square and a children’s play space behind Hollywood Park Nursery School.
• Residential courtyards and areas for green roofs to the buildings, providing a home for wildlife.
• A safe environment for all, that promotes active, sustainable travel with a pedestrian-only street running through the centre of the scheme.
• Car parking, car clubs, electric vehicle charging and plenty of cycle parking, ensuring that the neighbourhood is accessible to all.
• Opening up and creating inclusive public spaces around the viaduct with a new public square that can host markets and live events.
• Celebrating Stockport’s rich heritage and character with a plan to reintroduce the historic street pattern and street names.

Stockport 8 is central to the wider £1 billion investment currently being delivered across the town centre and is at the heart of the £500 million Stockport MDC Town Centre West masterplan, which will transform Stockport into the most sustainable, liveable town centre in the region over the next decade. The 130-acre masterplan will see the delivery of 4,000 new homes, alongside local amenities, green spaces, new workspace and radical transport improvements.

Eamonn Boylan, interim chair at Stockport MDC, said:

“Delivering long-term value for local communities is central to our ambitions for Town Centre West and Stockport’s wider transformation, which means ongoing conversations with residents are a crucial part of building the most sustainable and liveable town centre in the UK.

“The first phase of community engagement on Stockport 8 has been crucial in shaping the future of the development, ensuring that the culture and people of Stockport are reflected in what will be the largest site within the overall regeneration plans.”

Joe Stockton, senior development manager at ECF, said:

“We met and listened to hundreds of local people as part of the first conversation earlier this year. There was a lot of support for providing green and outdoor spaces, alongside a mix of new homes to suit everyone. We also heard loud and clear how important it is to celebrate Stockport’s rich heritage and unique character.

“We’re going to be back out in the local community over the next few weeks to share some of the key themes from the feedback and show how the plans have evolved. Our aim has always been to create a thriving, inclusive neighbourhood that will deliver the needs of Stopfordians now, and for generations to come, so we’re excited to share the revised plans with local people and businesses and get their views.”

There are plenty of ways that people can continue to take part in the community conversation and provide their feedback, including:

• Attending a drop-in session
  • Saturday 20^th July 2024, 10am – 3pm at Merseyway Shopping Centre, 54 Great Underbank, SK1 1PD
  • Thursday 1^st August 2024, 12:00pm – 5:00pm outside Edgeley Co-op, 84 Castle St, Edgeley, SK3 9AL.
• Signing up for an online Q&A at www.Stockport8.co.uk on Tuesday 23^rd July 2024, 6:30pm – 7:30pm where you can learn more about the revised plans and ask the project team questions.
• Completing an online questionnaire at www.Stockport8.co.uk
• Filling in a freepost questionnaire in the newsletter being delivered locally in July.
• Email: hello@Stockport8.co.uk
• Call 0800 689 1095 (Mon –Fri, 9:00am–5:30pm)
• Write to ‘Freepost HAVE YOUR SAY’ (no further address or stamp needed)
• Follow social channels – Instagram @stockport_8 | Facebook Stockport 8

The full team behind Stockport 8 is made up of Stockport MDC, ECF, architect shedkm, landscape architects Planit, the planning team from Deloitte, project manager Walker Sime and engagement specialist Font Comms.