‘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
Stockport bar that took a chance on Underbanks announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
A bar owner who was called ‘mad’ for opening his business at The Underbanks in Stockport has announced he’s closing down for good.
The Cracked Actor was launched by actor Joe Patten back in 2019, long before the Underbanks was considered one of the coolest districts in Greater Manchester.
Joe said he ‘saw the beauty in those bricks’ and took a chance on the unit on Little Underbank, transforming it into a Victorian-inspired blues bar.
And although other operators told him he was ‘mad for opening anything on that street’, Joe proved everyone wrong, and The Cracked Actor became a real Stockport favourite.
Sadly, he has now announced that The Cracked Actor will be closing its doors in just a few weeks’ time.
Joe said that he wants the business to ‘go out at its height’, stressing that ‘it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor – it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of’.
He wants to focus his attention on other projects, like The Banshee and Holy Diver.
His full statement reads: “So Stockport, its taken a long old time to make this decision. But some things have to end on a high. And boy its been a whirlwind.
“The Cracked Actor was my first bar in Stockport and has always weathered the storm. Sadly, these days I have a lot going on. And some things take away from the attention I can pay to my little bar. I want to call time on The Cracked Actor and go out at its height. It’s odd as I have always defended this bar against everything it came up against in this climate. I thought I would always pass this bar down to my kids.
“But it feels the right time to call time. This bar got me on the map and its opened the doors to soo much more that came afterwards. We now have The Bansbee and Holy Diver and exciting opportunities are always pulling me away from where I started.
“I want to focus on whats next and make sure what I’m doing has my full attention. So it’s not a sad note we are closing The Cracked Actor, it’s more of a thank you for getting me all I had dreamed of the day it opened.
“When I opened the bar 7 years ago every bar owner called me mad for opening anything on that street. Now its booming with bars that have come after wards. Some times you just gotta see the beauty in those bricks.
“I want to pay a massive thank you to my fiance Amy, whome without this bar would have closed 4 years ago. She took to it and saw how much it meant to me. And her Aiden and Oliver bought it back from a slump. Shes bought it back to all its glory and made it better than I ever could have,working endless hours.
“I want to thank all my customers many of of them who have been coming since day one Gary. TeJ & Gary, Boby Dylan, Simon and Ash, to name a few.
“We will be open for the next Two weeks to have a massive send of. And our final day to public will be Saturday 11th July. With a private send of on 12th.”
New pie shop with Indian-inspired fillings opens at Greater Manchester train station
Emily Sergeant
At long last, Patel’s Pies – the proper pie shop with Indian-inspired fillings – has got its very own site, and we couldn’t be happier about it.
The business is already a familiar name (to the blue half of the city, of course) thanks to its matchday spot outside the Etihad Stadium, but now, Patel’s Pies will be serving its delicious savoury bakes to the people of the Heatons too – with its brand-new pie shop now opene at Heaton Chapel train station.
Here you’ll find their legendary curry pies with homemade pastry – filled with the likes of keema, butter chicken, and beef madras.
You can grab hot and cold pies to take away, all setting you back an affordable £5.95 each.
Patel’s Pies is now open at Heaton Chapel train station / Credit: The Manc Group
From 11am-2pm, you can also get your hands on the lunch deal, which is any pie, masala mash, spiced mushy peas, and gunpowder gravy.
Patel’s Pies has teamed up with Manc legends Gooey, so you can grab the bakery’s famous cookies and doughnuts here too.
There’ll also be local beers and canned drinks up for grabs.
All pies will set you back an affordable £5.95 each / Credit: The Manc Group
Inside, the shop keeps things traditional, complete with classic pie warmers on the counter and hand-painted signage by Cactus Sign Painting, giving the space the feel of a proper old-school pie shop with a modern twist.
Announcing the new venture, Steve, the owner of Patel’s Pies has said: “We’d love for you to come down, say hello, and support our new venture. It’s our very first day, so please bear with us as we get settled in, we can’t wait to serve you all.”
The Manc -
29th June 2021 
