The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) meeting of the 29th March has officially signed off on the first ever Greater Manchester Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) to be established in Stockport’s Town Centre West area.
This historic move will see the area redeveloped with Mayoral powers to help bring in investment to build around 3,000 new homes.
The plans provide a further boost to the transformation and renewal for Stockport’s Town Centre, further supporting Stockport’s economy which is already outcompeting regional rivals.
Plans include the building of a new urban village with a mixture of tenure – including affordable housing – to appeal to a broad range of communities. These will be built on brownfield sites reducing the need for green belt development.
Communities and businesses in the new development will be amongst the best connected in the region, with enviable access to public transport and motorway links. The site sits alongside Stockport’s new Transport Interchange, Stockport’s mainline railway station and the M60 and A6 all within touching distance of the site. The Town Centre West plans have also been designed to work with the future incorporation of Metrolink built in.
Stockport’s lead member for the Economy and Regeneration, Cllr Kate Butler commented:
“We have worked hard since taking over the running of the council in 2016 to ensure this next phase of Stockport’s regeneration is truly transformational. Being awarded GM’s first ever MDC is testament to this.
“This is a long term plan which will see a forgotten area of the town centre spring back to life whilst making the most of its enviable assets – heritage sites, green spaces, and the River Mersey.
“These plans sit alongside further development of a new commercial quarter at Stockport Exchange, investment in our cherished Market Place and Underbanks area, improvements to the road network, and forthcoming plans to upgrade the Merseyway centre.
“We now have a very clear signal to the private sector on just how serious we are about investing in Stockport’s future and I’m pleased that many developers are now taking notice and are inspired by our confidence in Stockport.
“Our vision is to establish Stockport as the number one place to live, visit and do business outside the city centre.
Stockport’s Labour Council leader, Alex Ganotis added:
“This decision will leave a real legacy for future Stopfordians, with a riverside ‘urban village’ providing an excellent complement to the transformation we are already seeing across Stockport Town Centre. The move will significantly help prevent green belt development, and boost our efforts to tackle the housing crisis.
“I’m pleased by the way the GMCA and the Metropolitan Mayor have engaged with our plans and our vision to transform Stockport.
“Stockport Labour will continue our efforts to ensure Stockport remains firmly on the map for redevelopment and will continue working at all levels toward that.”
The next Steps in the MDC process include the establishing of a shadow board in advance of the designation of the area to set the strategic direction. GMCA officers will also work with MHCLG and Stockport Council on the development of the necessary legislation for the proposed Mayoral Development Corporation. Final approval from the Secretary of State is expected toward the end of the year.
The GMCA report papers are available here https://www.gmcameetings.co.uk/meetings/meeting/668/greater_manchester_combined_authority under item 20: Town centre Challenge Update – Mayoral development Corporation