Stockport unveils 15-year plan for town centre east

Stockport Council has set out its transformative 15-year vision to regenerate the east of the town centre, setting out an ambitious blueprint to unlock thousands of new homes, jobs, and vibrant public spaces – building on the success of its nationally recognised town centre regeneration programme.

The Town Centre East Strategic Regeneration Framework (TCE SRF) outlines how the Council and Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) aim to revitalise brownfield land to the east of the A6 into a series of sustainable and vibrant neighbourhoods.

The framework proposes the ambitious delivery of 4,000 new high-quality homes, in addition to the 4,000 already planned for the west of the town centre. These will include a mix of homes to suit different households, including affordable homes.

They will be built alongside new social infrastructure, including a new secondary school and health hub, to support the existing and growing communities. Green and blue spaces are integral to the vision, which features a riverside park, to enhance the well-being of residents and enable healthy lifestyles.

The development ambitions set out in the SRF will continue to drive economic growth through new employment opportunities for everyone in the borough, and in revitalising the whole of the town centre, will encourage existing and new residents to spend time there.

Connectivity between the east and west of Stockport will be enhanced with improved walking, cycling, and public transport links, as well as to neighbouring communities, improving accessibility for those living in and around the town centre.  

Setting a new standard of urban living, the framework identifies three distinctive neighbourhoods that together shape the vision for the east of the town centre. They look to blend characterful architecture in keeping with Stockport’s historic charm with sustainable infrastructure, future-proofing buildings for generations to come.   

1. Goyt Riverside will transform the riverside corridor into a lively residential community anchored by a new riverside park, opening up access to the water and providing high-quality new homes. The beauty of the river will be revealed, allowing for an interactive waterside landscape for active and passive leisure, alongside nature and flood resilience.
2. Civic and historic heart focuses regeneration around Piccadilly, where sensitive design will complement Stockport’s rich heritage while introducing new homes, employment space, and green space at the town’s core.
3. Hillgate will be renewed through the uncovering of Hempshaw Brook and the creation of a green, connected neighbourhood that strengthens links with surrounding communities. 

The SRF, which was shaped following extensive public consultation, builds upon Stockport’s decade-long £1 billion town centre regeneration – the largest in the UK. 

At the heart of this transformation, since being established in 2019, the MDC has driven forward landmark projects, including the state-of-the-art Stockport Interchange, the restoration of the listed 18th-century Weir Mill, which has created 253 apartments, and a brand-new business district at Stockport Exchange.  

To date, £600m private sector investment has been secured, 175,000 sq ft of employment space generated, and 1,200 new homes completed and on site, with a further 1,300 in the pipeline to start on site in the next five years. Affordable housing is an integral part of the pipeline, with 73 affordable homes delivered at Platform, 148 on site at Chestergate, and 82 more to be delivered within phase one of the new Stockport 8 neighbourhood. Elsewhere in the town centre, there are 131 (63 affordable rent and 68 social rent) available at Edward Street, further strengthening Stockport’s affordable offer. 

To supercharge delivery of the ambitions set out in the TCE SRF, the Council this week endorsed plans to expand the boundary of the MDC to cover the entire town centre. This expansion is expected to be formally recommended by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and taken to Parliament in the coming weeks. 

With Cabinet approval now secured, the SRF will become a material consideration in future planning decisions, guiding development proposals to align with the Council’s ambitions for a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable town centre. 

Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of Stockport Council, said:

“We’ve already seen the huge difference made to our town centre under the UK’s largest town centre regeneration, and the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) sets out how we can go even further to benefit residents across the whole borough.   

“This gives us the route map for achieving our vision to double the number of new homes to 8,000, making the best use of brownfield land to significantly meet our borough’s housing needs while creating well-designed neighbourhoods that revitalise our town.   

“We’re investing in infrastructure that matters – a health hub, new secondary school, green spaces and connectivity – while boosting opportunities for local businesses and attracting new investment. It’s also about enhancing what we already have – restoring our historic charm, opening up picturesque riverside settings and improving travel routes. 

“We’ve made huge progress in Town Centre West, and now we’re ready to bring that same ambition to the area to the east of the town centre as we shape the next chapter of our town’s story.” 

The SRF supports Stockport’s wider One Future Vision to make the borough the best place to live a happy, healthy life in the UK and can be read on the Stockport Council website.