Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, and the Leader of Stockport Council, Councillor Elise Wilson have officially marked the start of work on the new Stockport Interchange mixed-use development.
The pair broke ground and officially launched construction work on the scheme while visiting the site in Stockport town centre last week
As part of the new multi-million-pound project, there will be a new state-of-the-art transport interchange with a two-acre town centre park and 196 new, high-quality residential apartments.
The project, which represents part of a major £1bn investment in Stockport, is being delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), Stockport Council, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) in conjunction with building contractor Willmott Dixon and development partner, CityRise.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “The new transport interchange will be transformational for the regeneration of Stockport town centre, and will act as a welcoming gateway for the town and provides much improved facilities in the town and for public transport users.
“Stockport is a great place, with a proud history and bright future. This is an exciting investment in Stockport, and the project will boost the growth of the town centre and create a vibrant, innovative space that celebrates the town’s rich history and unique character.”
The scheme is the latest and largest new development being driven forward by the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), an innovative partnership that sets a new benchmark for town centre regeneration.
The partnership brings together powers devolved to the Greater Manchester Mayor combined with strong local leadership from Stockport Council and the long-term commitment of the government’s housing agency, Homes England, to deliver an ambitious vision for the future of Stockport town centre.
Cllr Elise Wilson, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’re moving so fast with this significant development which will not only be a future ready state-of-the-art transport hub but also ready for Metrolink in the future and will also provide much-needed quality new homes for our residents.
“There’s so many aspects that I’m looking forward to, especially the new rooftop park in the heart of our town centre, which will not just be the first park created in our borough for decades, but a park that will be bigger than a football pitch and which will completely transform the look, feel and presence of Stockport, more open space, more biodiversity, more trees and more importantly a place I can’t personally wait to spend time in, a place where for the first time we’ll have a fantastic town centre park to sit down and enjoy the amazing view of our impressive viaduct, and I hope residents and visitors will enjoy it too.
“And with it all coming soon, today really is a great moment for our borough. We’re ambitious for Stockport. Town centre green space, new homes, better transport. It’s all coming along at a great pace, and I’m sure it won’t be long until we can all enjoy the massive changes that we’re seeing in our town to make Stockport a better place for all.”
Due to open in Spring 2024, a major feature of the new transport interchange is the two-acre rooftop park which will improve leisure and recreation opportunities in the town centre and create more green space for everyone to enjoy. As part of the wider Bee Network vision, there will also be new cycling and walking routes connecting to the train station, as well as to the Trans Pennine Trail and town centre.
As part of the wider development, residential partners CityRise will deliver a landmark residential development comprising 196 high quality apartments to provide new homes into the heart of the town centre and help tackle the need for future housing.
There will also be a modern and a fully accessible, covered passenger concourse in the interchange with seated waiting areas, and 18 bus stands, providing capacity for future growth in bus services.
