Stockport Council are continuing on their mission to regenerate Stockport town centre with the purchase of the former BHS store in Merseyway.
The purchase of the store, currently let to Poundland, forms a pivotal piece of the jigsaw in the council’s pledge to overhaul Merseyway shopping centre, acquired by Stockport Council in 2017.
The purchase includes the former BHS store and Optical Express.
In a report to its economy and regeneration scrutiny committee, the council said:
“The building currently presents a poor amenity to Merseyway and further, contributes to poor perceptions of the centre. The building is in a poor physical condition and looks dated and scruffy.”
The committee is due to discuss the full report at a meeting next week, before being presented for full council approval.
Stockport’s cabinet first approved an action plan for the shopping centre in December 2017 and the council last October outlined its next steps to help revitalise the area, which has benefitted from the opening of Redrock, the town’s neighbouring cinema and leisure development.
The council is proposing the former Next store be split onto four units and a new entrance allowing direct access from the centre’s car park into Adlington Walk; the council said this would have a knock-on effect of improving access to the centre from Chestergate, Great Underbank, and the old town.
The shopping centre has been able to attract tenants including Tessuti, which opened a 5,000 sq ft unit before Christmas. Others, including Thorntons, EE, WH Smith, and TUi have also committed to lease renewals at the site, while the council said “discussions with other operators” were continuing.
Source (in part) Place North West
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