The £250 million ‘masterplan’ for a brand-new mixed residential neighbourhood in Stockport has been unveiled.
Coming from Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) and the English Cities Fund (ECF) – which is a joint venture between Homes England, Muse, and Legal & General – the “exciting” development will take shape to the west of the Greater Manchester town’s centre, and is currently known as ‘Stockport 8’.
Located on land either side of King Street West and next to the railway viaduct, the £250 million plans will reconnect the site to nearby neighbourhoods and the town centre, and aim to “bring life back” to what was once a “thriving” residential neighbourhood under the railway arches.
The ‘Stockport 8’ site is central to the wider £1 billion investment that’s currently being delivered across the town centre, and is “at the heart” of the £500 million Stockport MDC masterplan – which is aiming to transform Stockport into the most “sustainable” and “liveable” town centre in the region over the next decade.
The 130-acre Stockport MDC masterplan includes 4,000 new homes, alongside local amenities, green spaces, new workspaces, and “radical” transport improvements.
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The £250m ‘masterplan’ for a new mixed residential neighbourhood in Stockport has been unveiled / Credit: Stockport MDC
Alongside the draft masterplan for ‘Stockport 8’, a number of concept sketches have also been released.
Developers say the concept sketches show the project’s “early thoughts” for the next chapter in the story of Stockport’s revival.
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The ‘masterplan’ then outlines the aim for a high-quality and walkable green neighbourhood that combines all of the best attributes of the existing place with “innovative placemaking ideas”, in a bid to deliver a “vibrant” new part of town for the people of Stockport.
This includes up to 1,200 energy-efficient homes – a mixture of affordable, Build to Rent, and open-market sale properties – new spaces for local businesses and community facilities, green spaces to “promote health and wellbeing”, new walking routes to connect the wider town centre to surrounding communities, and also fully-accessible car parking, car clubs, and cycle parking areas.
Stockport MDC & the English Cities Fund have launched a community conversation on £250m plans to create an exciting new neighbourhood to the west of the town centre.
Plans also feature several chances to celebrate Stockport’s iconic local heritage, including new inclusive public spaces for markets, festivals, and live events.
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“This is one of the largest town centre regeneration projects in the UK,” commented Joe Stockton, who is the Senior Development manager at Muse – which is part of the English Cities Fund – “and it’s only right that the local community is at the heart of what we do.
“We’re excited to find out what local people and businesses want to see in the area to help us shape the plans, and ensure there is something for everyone.
“We want to design a thriving, inclusive neighbourhood that will deliver the needs of the community now, and for generations to come, and that has Stockport’s independent spirit and character at its core.”
Featured Image – Stockport MDC
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Spike in antisemitic incidents reported after Manchester synagogue terror attack
Emily Sergeant
A new report has revealed that there was a rise in antisemitic incidents reported following the Manchester synagogue terror attack.
In case you need a reminder, the shocking knife and car attack took place on 2 October 2025 on Yom Kippur – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar – at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, and during the incident, two men sadly lost their lives during the attack – Adrian Daulby, 53, who was shot dead by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) while trying to stop the attacker from entering the synagogue, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, a worshipper who also helped stop the attacker.
The attacker was named as 35-year-old Jihad al Shamie – a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent who lived in Prestwich – who at the time was on bail for an alleged rape, before being shot dead by police.
In the wake of the attack, the Community Security Trust (CST), which monitors antisemitism in the UK, said 40 antisemitic incidents were reported on 2 October last year, and a further 40 were reported the day after – more than half of which involved direct reactions to the deadly attack.
These were the highest daily totals in 2025.
A spike in antisemitic incidents were reported after the Manchester synagogue terror attack / Credit: Google Maps | GMP
Three of the reported incidents on 2 and 3 October involved ‘face-to-face taunting and celebration of the attack to Jewish people’, according to the CST.
39 of the reported incidents were antisemitic social media posts referencing the attack, abusive responses to public condemnations of the attack from Jewish organisations and individuals, or antagonistic emails sent to Jewish people and institutions.
The Manchester synagogue attack was the first fatal antisemitic terror attack in the UK since the CST started recording incidents in 1984.
Overall, 3,700 anti-Jewish hate incidents were recorded in 2025 – which is said to be up 4% on the incidents recorded in the year before – and the CST revealed that this the second-highest annual total ever recorded.
There was also a spike in reported anti-Jewish hate incidents following the Bondi Beach killings in Sydney in December of last year too, the CST said.
Dave Rich, who is the director of police at CST, told Sky News in a statement: “We need a more robust approach to the kind of extremism that drives antisemitism.
“Jewish people in Britain used to be able to go about their lives without ever thinking about antisemitism, and now it’s the topic of conversation around every dinner table. That’s new.
“It feels for a lot of Jewish people like we’re in a different world now, the atmosphere is different, the climate has changed for Jewish people and the amount of antisemitism is part of that.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Trailer released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed all across Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new romcom that’s set and filmed all across Manchester has been released.
The film, titled Finding Emily, tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl on a night out, but ends up with the wrong phone number, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, and based on a screenplay written by Rachel Hirons – is produced by Working Title Films, is set in the fictional Manchester City University, and is due to be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures across the UK and internationally this spring.
The talented ensemble cast groups together big names like Minnie Driver with rising stars like Ella Maisy Purvis, Yali Topal Margalith, and Kat Ronney, as well as other established actors including Timothy Innes and Nadia Parkes.
Filming took place in Manchester between August and September 2024.
The two and a half-minute trailer has been shared with the world today, and when we say it’s a Manc film, we mean it… we quite literally lost count of how many of our city’s famous locations can be spotted in just the trailer alone.
The trailer has been released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed in Manchester / Credit: Universal Pictures & Focus Features (via YouTube)
There’s everything from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street and the Gay Village, the Northern Quarter, the Crown & Kettle pub in Ancoats, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see, alongside what’ll, presumably, be dozens of other famous locations.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd January 2024 
