Works begin on improvements to Underbanks

The first phase of a project of improvements to Underbanks, running through Stockport town centre, begins this week.

The improvements will take place in two phases and will result in the area being transformed: Underbanks recently featured in the Netflix drama ‘The Stranger’ which also featured scenes in Stockport Train Station and the Marketplace.

Contractors, working on behalf of the council, will be on site around Lower Hillgate and Little Underbank from Monday 24th February.

The first phase will see the reconstruction of the failed road surface between the automatic bollards on Lower Hillgate, close to Robinsons Brewery and Royal Oak Yard. These works will involve laying a coloured surfacing and will take two months to be completed. The existing cobbles will be carefully stored and reused at a later date. Repairs to the footpath and redecoration of the street furniture along this section will also take place.

Works will then take place to reconstruct the remainder of Little Underbank with high quality, heritage-paving setts between Royal Oak Yard and the roundabout at the bottom of Little Underbank, opposite the White Lion.

At a later stage, once the improvement works on the buildings on Little Underbank and Lower Hillgate have been completed, the contractors will return to the section between the automatic bollards and Royal Oak Yard and replace the coloured surfacing with high-quality, heritage paving setts.

Businesses on Lower Hillgate and Little Underbank have been informed of the timetable of works.

Cllr David Meller, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, said:

Regenerating the Underbanks area is just one of our aims for our town centre, which also includes transforming Merseyway and the Interchange.

“Carrying out the road reconstruction works in two phases is the common sense approach while we redevelop Stockport’s fantastic ‘Old Town’.

“The current carriageway has failed and we need to replace it before the building works along the Underbanks take place.

“It would not make sense for us to lay new paving setts between Robinsons and Royal Oak Yard as there is a high risk of them being damaged as the regeneration works take place – that is why we will replace the current, failed setts with the coloured surfacing. We will then return at a later date to lay the new heritage setts on this section. 

“It very much ‘business as usual’ though and our highly-skilled team will ensure disruption is kept to a minimum. These improvements will reinforce our belief that the Underbanks and Lower Hillgate are fantastic places to work, live and shop.”

Up-to-dat information on the resurfacing project in the Little Underbanks area, part of the Town Centre Access Plan programme, will be available from Stockport Council’s website.