Stopfordians are being asked to have their say on plans to create a new ‘One Stockport Hub’ in the town centre.
The centre of Stockport is undergoing a £1billion programme of investment and with the challenges of the Coronavirus pandemic, Stockport Council wants to continue the improvements and make a visit to the town centre a safe and enjoyable experience.
As part of these plans, the council is proposing to create the ‘One Stockport Hub’.
Located in Mersey Square, in a unit formerly occupied by Argos, the Hub would provide a cultural and social experience, including a library service, in the heart of the town centre for both Stockport residents and visitors.
The Hub, which would open in early 2021, would be the first stage in the council’s ambition for a much larger town centre cultural and community centre, which has already seen the council apply for £14m in Government funding.
Library services currently located at Central Library on the A6 would be provided from the One Stockport Hub, in a move that would mean the service would be more accessible to shoppers and visitors.
The Hub would be the new home to a local history displays from the museum collection, a dedicated family library with adult and children’s literature to borrow and browse, a digital zone with computers and tablets for use free of charge, as well as free Wi-Fi and space where visitors can use their own devices, council’s heritage material and Stockport Archives and a Stockport shop selling items currently offered in our museums’ shops
Cllr David Meller, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration, said: “In a typical year, Merseyway is visited by around 150,000 people each week.
“But we’re seeing how town centres are rapidly changing and the One Stockport Hub will be another step towards having a centre fit not just for the present, but for the future.
“This future is one less reliant on traditional retail but more around serving the needs of the local community – and what better way to show this than potentially transforming the old Argos unit.
“The Hub will bring a more family-orientated space that will create a vibrant centre that people will want to visit and spend time in.”
Stockport’s heritage library, which needs to be offered on a more limited pre-bookable basis for the foreseeable future due to the Coronavirus pandemic, would be housed temporarily at the new hub.
Have your say on the proposal by visiting ‘One Stockport Hub’.
The closing date for the consultation is October 19.
