Stockport County plans affordable homes at Grove Lane, Cheadle Hulme

Stockport County, alongside development partner Stonebond, is to seek planning permission to build more than 120 affordable homes on land south of Grove Lane, Cheadle Hulme.

Plans for the site, which will target first-time buyers and local families, reflect a belief shared across the Stockport County community that the Club’s growth should deliver transformative opportunities for local people.

The Grove Lane development would deliver 126 high-quality homes of mixed affordable tenure, designed to support young families, key workers, and first-time buyers who are increasingly priced out of the local market.

The mix of two-, three-, and four-bed homes will be transferred to a recognised affordable housing provider to ensure they remain accessible to local people over the long term, as Stockport faces acute affordable housing pressures. Development plans also commit to delivering improvements to the Grove Lane roundabout to make everyday journeys safer and less congested.

Mark Stott, Owner of Stockport County, said:

“Plans for Grove Lane are a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure that the limited land available for housing in the borough is used to deliver genuinely affordable homes for Stockport families.

“We are acutely aware of the pressures facing young families and first-time buyers, which is why we’ve made the decision to ensure the homes are either managed by a recognised affordable housing provider or sold through affordable home ownership schemes.

“Supporting the community and creating the right opportunities for young people matters enormously to Stockport County, which is why money generated from this development will be reinvested to support further and higher education programmes linked to sport, and for the benefit of community programmes and facilities.”

The Grove Lane site was originally purchased by Stockport County for use as a training location; however, the site is no longer required following the recently announced acquisition of Stockport Sports Village to support the club’s academy strategy.

Instead, and in recognition of the borough’s housing needs, Stockport County has worked with special affordable housing developer, Stonebond, to bring forward new housing on the site. The club has also committed to reinvesting development proceeds back into the Stockport community, building on the more than £40 million already invested into the club and the town over the past five years.

The proceeds from the sale of the land will be reinvested to support education and employment programmes with Stockport College and Manchester Metropolitan University, assist the Stockport County Community Trust in working with vulnerable residents, enhance grassroots sports, including youth and women’s football, and improve community facilities at Edgeley Park.