‘Exciting’ project to transform Stockport town centre over next five years is signed off
"The MDC is going to provide massive regeneration opportunities, but allow us to reshape the town centre in line with our identity and our community values."
Plans to transform the face of Stockport town centre over the next five years have officially been signed off by local authorities.
The medium-term plan is aiming to deliver 1,000 new homes by 2023, with at least 250 being built every year until 2026.
Projects also include the redevelopment of Stockport Train Station and progressing the business case for bringing the Metrolink to the town centre.
Regeneration of ‘Town Centre West’ has already delivered the Stockport Exchange office development, as well as transforming the old sorting office into a 117-apartment scheme dubbed The Mailbox. It has been hailed as “the newest, coolest, greenest” urban village in the region by Stockport Council leader Elise Wilson.
Now, Mayor Andy Burnham and leaders from across Greater Manchester have given the go-ahead for the business plan up to 2026.
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The projects were approved at the latest meeting of the region’s combined authority.
Plans to transform Stockport town centre have been signed off by local leaders / Credit: Stockport MDCThe Stockport MDC is aiming to deliver 1,000 new homes by 2023 / Credit: Stockport MDC
Planning permission has been granted for the Royal George Village and St Thomas’ Gardens schemes, which are set to bring more than 500 homes to the town centre.
“This is obviously a new way of approaching town centre regeneration,” Mayor Andy Burnham said.
“Supporting Stockport council, Greater Manchester is bringing what it can to the table, so we do this as a joint endeavour and maximise the support available – but also work to an ambitious masterplan that can deliver a real lasting change for the town.”
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“The MDC is going to provide massive regeneration opportunities, but allow us to reshape the town centre in line with our identity and our community values,” Cllr Elise Wilson added.
“It will utilise those iconic brownfield sites, which in many cases have just sat falling into disrepair, and bring them back into life – and by doing so help protect our green belt and green spaces.
“It will support the revival of our high street and create jobs and growth, because we do see the effect that is having beyond the MDC itself.”
“The MDC is going to provide massive regeneration opportunities” / Credit: Stockport MDC
She added: “Because the benefits of the MDC will absolutely level-up Stockport and ensure we can see that positive, inclusive growth and new communities – the newest, coolest, greenest neighbourhoods.”
Leaders agreed to approve the MDC business plan for May 2021 to March 2026, as well as the action plan between now and March 2022.
Featured Image – Stockport Council / Stockport MDC
Stockport
Man, 19, arrested after driving car ‘at speed’ towards police officer in Cheadle
Emily Sergeant
A police officer has been left with serious injuries after a vehicle was driven ‘at speed’ towards her in Cheadle.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that it received a report of people acting suspiciously inside a vehicle in the car park of a retail park on Wilmslow Road in Cheadle last Saturday night (25 January 2025).
Police officers subsequently responded by attending the scene to investigate.
As the responding police officer walked towards the vehicle in the car park, she reported that the vehicle was driven “at speed” towards her, hitting her in its path and leaving her with serious injuries, which she was taken to hospital for treatment for.
Following the distressing incident, a 19 year-old man has now been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, GMP has confirmed.
#ARREST | A 19 year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, after one of our officers was seriously injured during an incident at a retail park on Wilmslow Road, Cheadle last night (Saturday 25 January 2025).
Chief Inspector John Picton, of GMP’s Stockport district, said the police officer is currently “recovering well” and being supported by her colleagues.
Addressing the incident as investigations progress, CI Picton said: “This incident is truly shocking, and shows how quickly situations our frontline officers attend can escalate.
“There is absolutely no explanation as to why this incident needed to end the way it did. Our officers go to work every day to provide an outstanding service to the communities they serve, and achieve fantastic results in situations that are often challenging.
“Assaults on our officers are completely unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.
“In this case, the officer suffered serious injuries… [but she] is being supported by all of us at the Stockport district and recovering well.”
Featured Image – GMP
Stockport
The reason why Stockport station has been temporarily renamed to ‘Scottport’
Danny Jones
Anyone passing through Stockport station this morning may have been a bit confused and potentially panicked that they got on the wrong train after seeing the name ‘Scottport’ out the window.
But fear not, they arrived at their destinations as intended and it wasn’t just a badly spelt new sign either – here’s why…
This Monday (27 January) was her replacement’s first day at work and if you haven’t already put two and two together, we’ll happily walk you the rest of the way there.
With fellow radio veteran Scott Mills being chosen as her replacement, the Eastleigh-born presenter made his debut as the new Breakfast Show host to kick off not only a new week but a new era – and to mark the occasion, Stockport railway station has changed its name for Scottport for the day.
As far as we know, the former Radio 1 has no other connection to Greater Manchester or SK in particular, but the route does connect the BBC’s Broadcasting House in the capital to their Northern hub in MediaCityUK, Salford Quays.
Having stepped away from Radio 1 back in 2022 a whopping 24 years, Mills previously replaced Steve Wright in the Afternoon on Radio 2.
The 51-year-old stood in for Ball back in September 2024 after she took a few weeks off which looks to have proven a more than worthy trial shift as he now takes over the early morning slot full-time.
Speaking from the Radio 2 helm for the first time, Mills began by saying: “As a radio presenter and a radio fan all my life, I’m still finding it quite hard to process that this is happening, if I’m honest.
“If I think too much about the previous occupiers of this show it becomes mind-blowing to me for a kid who wanted to be on the radio, but wasn’t sure he had the self-confidence to be able to actually do it.”
This, of course, isn’t the first time a similar rail-related PR stunt like this has been carried out as Brighton train station famously changed its name to ‘Blyton’ last year as it welcomed back 14-year-old Paralympian, Bly Twomey, following her double bronze medal success.
Meanwhile, Trevor Nelson (who presented in the evenings from Monday to Thursday) will now replace Mills as the presenter of the 2-4pm weekday afternoon show from today onwards.
Not everyone has welcomed the change, however, as many listeners switched off within minutes of the latter’s first show after taking issue with his first song choice: ‘Rock DJ’ by Robbie Williams, who later came on the phone to congratulate him.
What do you make of the appointment – is Scott Mills a good fit and will you be listening?
The Manc -
29th June 2021 
