Stockport MDC appoints new MD to lead of town centre regeneration

Stockport MDC has announced the appointment of Catherine Chilvers, as its new Managing Director, succeeding Paul Richards who has led the MDC since its establishment in 2019.

Chilvers will lead the MDC in delivering its ambitions in Town Centre West and joins as the MDC moves forward with the expansion of its scope to cover the entirety of Stockport town centre.

The expansion was endorsed by GM Mayor Andy Burnham in October 2024. Created by Andy Burnham in 2019 as Greater Manchester’s first MDC, and the UK’s first town centre MDC, Stockport MDC is leading a rethink of urban centres with an ambitious and sustainable regeneration vision that aims to create the UK’s most liveable town centre.

Created by Andy Burnham in 2019 as Greater Manchester’s first MDC, and the UK’s first town centre MDC, Stockport MDC is leading a rethink of urban centres with an ambitious and sustainable regeneration vision that aims to create the UK’s most liveable town centre.

Catherine’s appointment follows her nine years working with Network Space Developments (NSD), a commercial real estate developer, investor and manager that specialises in sectors across the North of England, where she was Development Director.

At NSD, Chilvers led the design, planning and delivery of commercial and employment-led property schemes and supported local authorities (including Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council) deliver on their economic growth priorities. Before this, Catherine spent nine years as a Senior Development Manager, first at the Northwest Regional Development Agency, then at Homes England.

Commenting on her appointment, Catherine Chilvers said:

“I’m thrilled to be joining Stockport MDC at such an important moment for the town. The MDC and its partners have achieved so much in their first five years – with £600m raised in private investment, the team has made huge strides forward in their plans, not least the opening of Interchange, the first phases of Exchange, and major progress on housing targets, where the town is well on track to deliver 2,500 homes by 2030. It’s also an honour to join a team with an ethos that puts meaningfully improving the lives of residents at the heart of its mission. Paul Richards’ leadership as founding Chief Executive has been instrumental in leading this transformation, and part of my role will be to carry this legacy forward.

“There’s still so much more to come – between developing the masterplan for Town Centre East and the healthy pipeline of developments in Town Centre West, the next five years are shaping up to be just as impactful as the first”

Over the last five years, Stockport MDC has made significant progress on its ambitious objectives in Town Centre West, including completing or starting construction on more than 1,000 homes, delivering 170,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, and opening a state-of-the-art transport hub, Interchange, complete with a two-acre rooftop park.

Building on these successes, Stockport Council last week published a report setting out proposals to expand the boundary of the MDC, enabling it to become the delivery vehicle for the housing-led regeneration of the entirety of the town centre. Subject to agreement from GMCA in March, a consultation on these proposals will run from April.

Outgoing CEO of Stockport MDC, Paul Richards, will move into a role as Strategic Advisor to the MDC Board alongside his role as Deputy Chief Executive of Stockport Council. He said of Catherine Chilvers’ appointment:

“We are delighted to welcome Catherine Chilvers to the MDC team. Her wealth of experience coupled with her track record of delivering high-quality urban regeneration schemes ensures she will effectively lead the MDC at a crucial time in Stockport’s own regeneration.

“The prospect of expanding the mayoral development area is not only a powerful vote of confidence in the MDC’s success – it represents an opportunity to further accelerate the transformation of Stockport. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved over the last five years – not just in bricks and mortar, but in building a town centre that delivers for Stopfordians. With Catherine at the helm and an even greater ambition ahead, I have no doubt that Stockport’s transformation will be the most impactful in the country.”

The Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) is the delivery vehicle for Stockport Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), driving forward transformative development across a 130-acre (53-hectares) area, known as Town Centre West, part of the council’s £1 billion regeneration ambitions for the town centre.