MERSEYWAY IS LOST CAUSE

SADLY, the issue of the wonderful, iconic, Stockport Central Library has arisen again.

When will Stockport Council finally accept that the awful Merseyway Precinct is a lost cause – a legacy of the misguided planning of the 1960s and 1970s?

‘Gap’ has just announced the closure of ALL of its high street stores. Conventional retail is almost dead. Stockport has no remaining ‘big name’ stores.

The future of high streets will be specialist shops, entertainment allied to people living on them – creating the vibrant communities that the awful planning of the 1960s and 1970s destroyed. They were destroyed by planners who moved people into ugly high rise flats and overspill estates – devoid of warmth and human interaction.

The Covid 19 pandemic has altered and accelerated online working by at least 5 years.

Allied to the out of date precinct, the proposed ‘Hub’ plan is misguided, will be a white elephant and be out of date in 3-5 years. It certainly will not last the almost 110 years the wonderful Central Library has.

The renovation of the iconic Manchester Central Library only cost £50million in 2013-2014 (with inflation about £65million today) - where does the ridiculous £300 million come from?

Stockport has one of the finest libraries in the UK and its renovation will cost much less that Manchester’s did.

Stockport Council should celebrate it and so do its best to retain and improve it. There are plenty of excellent examples elsewhere – Manchester Central Library, the Manchester Art Gallery and its expansion into the building behind and more.

What Stockport – in fact Greater Manchester – needs is a modern Ian Nairn – the wonderful architect who attacked misguided post-war planning in London.

We need imagination, original thinking, innovation and inspiration in Stockport. Other towns – showing those qualities – are planning to demolish their 1970’s eyesores – their empty precincts. Such places are now as much a part of the past as the 5.25” floppy disc. Stockport should do the same.

Come on Stockport Council celebrate, safeguard and nurture our heritage, do NOT reject it and replace it with cheap and nasty.

Roy G Chapman Lynwood Grove Stockport