To the surprise of many visitors today, in the early 2000s, Stockport was labelled as the 12th worst town to live in in the UK. Fast forward to today, it starkly contrasts the £1bn regeneration that recently earned Stockport the title of ‘the best place to live in the North West' by the Sunday Times.
Stockport's incredible turnaround didn't happen by chance. It's the result of a successful programme of urban regeneration born from an ambitious collective vision, strong partnerships, innovation and a strong track record of delivery. Over the last decade, we've seen our One Stockport ambitions come to fruition as more people continue to set up homes here, build businesses, and Stockport become a place that is on the up, bucking trends and pioneering town centre living.
That is why we welcome accolades such as being one of the ‘12 best places in the UK to retire' (Which?) or ‘to buy your first home' (The Times) as well as one of the best 25 places to shop, in recognition of our historic Underbanks area (The Telegraph).
Our success story has also become a blueprint for others. While some may attribute our success to Stockport's strategic location within commutable distance from Manchester and sitting just on the edge of the beautiful Peak District, there's much more to our regeneration story, namely, the power of local government innovation and the determination of the people of Stockport too.
Stockport is an ambitious place undergoing a spectacular transformation.
A prime example of our innovative approach is the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), founded with a partnership-first mindset, uniting public and private expertise. Since its inception five years ago, it is successfully delivering over 1,200 of 4,000 new homes (a 15-year target), attracted £600m of private investment, and opened among its flagship developments a brand-new £140m transport interchange with a two-acre rooftop park, accommodating 164 departures an hour.
The growth of commercial activity in and around areas of development such as the Interchange is an excellent example of how regeneration is never entirely top-down. Stockport is now well-known for its thriving independent businesses, gastronomic scene, and wider cultural offering – the result of innovative and ambitious Stockport residents and businesses taking advantage of the new opportunities such a wide-ranging regeneration programme offers.
Another standout success is Stockport Exchange, which is transforming a previously underused area into a vibrant hub of activity. Having already delivered three new grade A office buildings, a successful hotel, and new car parking facilities. The next four phases of the scheme (which is being delivered by Stockport Council and developer Muse) will integrate high-quality office spaces with retail units and residential apartments.
Also essential to the wider £1bn regeneration programme is Stockport 8, a mixed-use new neighbourhood that will deliver another 1,200 new homes. It will also bring significant upgrades to public transport, develop new green spaces, and introduce a variety of local amenities and tourist attractions. Partnership is also key here – the scheme is being delivered by Stockport MDC and the English Cities Fund, a joint venture between Homes England, Muse, and Legal & General.
The quality of these schemes demonstrates the crucial impact of forward-thinking planning and the importance of a collaborative effort towards regeneration, with lots more still to come, including:
● The transformation of the Grade 2 listed building – Weir Mill – into 253 new apartments
● The development of the former Stockport College site into 442 new homes
● The submission of our planning application for Stockport 8, a mixed-use neighbourhood of 1,200 homes
● The opening of Stockroom, our innovative, creative learning and discovery centre
Stockport is therefore well on its way to realising our ambitions to become one of the most liveable towns in the UK.
We're building on strong foundations and have five big aspirations that will be game-changing. One Stockport, One Future is all about making our borough the best place in the UK to live a happy, healthy life in the years ahead by delivering five big things. These are:
● A wide choice of good jobs and homes, which includes big ambitions for the east of our town centre.
● Being the best place to grow up, including a new town centre inclusive secondary school and retaining and recruiting the best teachers through joined up approaches across housing, work and skills.
● Having access to the best health and care, including a new neighbourhood health hub and hospital in the heart of the town centre.
● Thriving neighbourhoods that are safe places to live and visit, including better public services, it shouldn't matter which team or organisation provides the support, the support will be connected and serviced locally.
● Access to clean, green transport, bringing metrolink to stockport and facilitating a zero-emission bus network which connects all of our neighbourhoods.
As we continue to build on this momentum, Stockport's transformation is a testament to what can be achieved when local government, communities and businesses work together. In this new era of devolution, the Stockport model isn't just a success story; it's a blueprint for revitalising towns across the UK.
Cllr Mark Hunter is leader of Stockport Council
