£250m 'walkable neighbourhood' boasting 1,200 homes and shops next to Stockport Viaduct moves step closer

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A new 'walkable neighbourhood' in Stockport has moved a step closer with the announcement of a funding partner for the 250 million scheme. 'Stockport 8' will see the creation of 1,200 new homes as well as shops, offices and leisure space on eight acres of land next to Stockport Viaduct.

The Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which is overseeing the £1billion transformation of Stockport town centre, have announced they have entered with the English Cities Fund (ECF) for the project. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community Between them, they will invest more than £250m into the scheme, which is one of the biggest sites in the masterplan for the 130-acre area to the west of the town centre.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has previously dubbed it 'one of the leading regeneration projects right now, not only in Greater Manchester but across the UK.' A planning application for the site is now set to be submitted next summer 2024, with a target completion of the first phase by Summer 2027.

Lord Bob Kerslake, Chair of the Stockport MDC, said “It speaks volumes about the strength of the opportunity in Stockport that, within just one year of starting our search for a new development partner for Stockport 8, we have secured a long-term joint venture with ECF. "The interest from the industry was overwhelming, but ultimately, ECF demonstrated a shared long-term vision for the site, and for Stockport. "This vision was one that clearly reflects the ambitions laid out in our Strategic Business Plan, including a way forward that delivers against our guiding principles of community, sustainability and innovation, and, most importantly, one that best serves the needs of local people.