Stockport’s new town centre park, the first of its kind in the UK, has officially been named following a public vote.
The new park sits on top of the town’s new Interchange development and Stockport Council leader, Cllr Mark Hunter, was on site on Friday, March 1 to reveal the park will be named ‘Viaduct Park’.
Stakeholders involved in the creation of the development were also given a sneak peek of the landmark project.
The name was chosen following a public vote held over the 2023 Christmas and New year period, which saw thousands of votes cast.
Residents were able to vote for one of three shortlisted choices by placing a token in their favoured option at a voting station that was positioned in various locations around the town centre.
The winning name with the most votes was Viaduct Park, and Stockport’s newest community greenspace will open to the public on Monday 18 March.
Residents are being invited to come down on the day and enjoy the new two-acre park in the heart of the town.
The park will feature play equipment, community space, festoon lighting and a new link to the railway station and is part of the borough’s £1billlion pound regeneration of its town centre.
A host of events and activities will be on offer following the park’s opening on March 18, including, storytime for school children, Tai Chi, ‘Dance like a Mother’ sessions, a ‘Mindful Mile’ plus a scavenger hunt.
A Light Show will be installed, creating an ellipse of light around the inside of the park. This will launch when the park opens on March 18 and end on April 14.
Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of the council, said: “It’s a monumental day for Stockport and I’m delighted to be able to finally announce the name of the park as it has been a closely guarded secret since the vote ended in early January.
“Viaduct Park is not just a park, it is the heartbeat of Stockport’s transformation. The winning name is a great nod to our iconic Viaduct and it’s fitting that the park will provide great views of this amazing structure for years to come.
“We’ve got some fantastic events planned for the year once the park is open, which will really boost our status as Town of Culture, and I can’t wait to see everyone enjoying the space and what it has to offer.
“There are amazing things planned or coming to fruition in 2024 – Stockport really is buzzing.”
The Interchange development, which includes a residential complex consisting of 196 homes and a state-of-the-art transport interchange, has been delivered by Stockport Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, alongside construction company Willmott Dixon, and is one of the biggest single projects outside of London.
The completion of the Interchange is the start of what is set to be Stockport’s biggest year yet with several major town centre schemes well underway including the transformation of Weir Mill into modern apartments, and a new learning and discovery centre, Stockroom, which are both due for completion later this year.
