Stockport awarded £14.5 million to support town centre’s pandemic recovery

Stockport is among 15 towns in England to have been awarded a share of £255 million from the Future High Streets Fund.

The investment from the UK government will support town centres to recover following the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic as well as revitalise town centres through improvements to transport infrastructure, new homes and the transformation of underused spaces.

Stockport town centre has been awarded £14.5 million to help the council continue to deliver on its ambitious £1 billion regeneration plans, which include improvements to the Merseyway shopping centre, Underbanks area and train station, the new bus interchange and the regeneration of the Town Centre West area by Stockport MDC.

The Future High Streets Fund was launched in December 2018 and is a key part of the government’s plan to renew and reshape town centres – making them a more attractive place to live, work and visit. Regarding the fund, Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick MP said:

The year ahead will be a big one for the high street as it seeks to recover, adapt and evolve as a result of the pandemic. Today’s £830 million investment from the Future High Streets Fund is one of many ways the government is working to help our much-loved town centres get through this and prosper into the future.

“The role of high street has always evolved. We want to support that change and make sure that they are the beating heart of their local community – with high quality housing and leisure in addition to shops and restaurants.”

“This investment will help us build back better and make town centres a more attractive place to live, work and visit.”

Elsewhere in the region, Stretford has also received £17.6 million from the Future Towns Fund. Oldham, Rochdale, Wigan, Farnsworth and Buxton have all been confirmed among 57 towns to be provisionally awarded a share of further funding, however detailed proposals for these towns is yet to be finalised.