Phase two of the town’s transformation underway
WORK on the second phase of a major Stockport town centre redevelopment is set to begin, with council chiefs determined to make it a business and leisure hotspot in Greater Manchester.
Phase two of the £145m Stockport Exchange project, near the train station, is to due start in the coming weeks.
Plans include 43,000 sq ft of office space and a 115-bed hotel.
There will also be extensive improvements to nearby public spaces, cre- ating a ‘ gateway’ to the town centre.
Phase one, a £22m, 1,000space multi-storey car park and cycle centre, was finished last February. More office space will be built in subsequent phases.
Council leader Sue Derbyshire said the ‘vibrant business hub’ at Stockport Exchange is key to the town hall’s plan to improve the borough.
She added: “This work will see our town build on its strengths so it can grow and offer new opportunities to residents and businesses. The benefits this development will bring to Stockport are significant.”
The scheme is just one aspect of the town hall’s ambitious regeneration masterplan. Millions of pounds of capital cash has being committed to transforming the town.
The £45m Redrock project, originally named the Bridgefield development, will include a 10-screen cinema, food and drink outlets, shops and a 340-space multi-storey car park.
The Light Cinemas will be anchor-tenant for the development, which will also have a licensed café bar. There will be a new public square linking to the rest of the town centre.
Work is due to start in October and is expected to finish in 2017.
A new ‘Metrolink-ready’ transport interchange is also planned, using £41.8m from the government’s Local Growth Fund pot. The new transport hub will replacing the 30-year-old bus station and link to the train station.
Another £73m of government cash will be used to fund the council’s Town Centre Access Package, aimed at easing congestion and improving travel by car, bus, bike or on foot.
Work will be carried out on a number of town centre streets as well as the A6. It will be in two phases finishing in 2018.
Improvements at the Market Place and Underbanks are also planned, to increase footfall, build on the town centre’s Portas Pilot status and add new homes. Around £7m has been committed to bring in more independent retailers. The Covent Garden Village project will also see hundreds more homes built in the town centre.
The council’s Investing in Stockport plan, aimed at boosting growth, will see more than £900m ploughed into projects across the borough in the coming years.
It is thought around 5,000 new jobs will be created and 1,100 new homes.
The Town Centre Access Package will improve transport links and is key in the success of various regeneration projects.