Transforming Stockport: Interchange Opening Marks Milestone in £1 Billion Town Centre Regeneration

Yesterday, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and the Leader of Stockport Council, Mark Hunter, launched the £140 million state-of-the-art transport interchange in Stockport, the latest milestone in Stockport’s £1billion regeneration programme.

The state-of-the-art transport hub is a major moment in transforming Stockport. A key pillar within the Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation’s (MDC) redevelopment of a 130-acre brownfield site, the completion of the Interchange shows plans to transform the fate of Stockport, once voted one of the worst places to live in the UK, continues at pace.

Featuring 18 bus stands, with the capacity for 164 departures an hour and new cycling and walking routes to the train station and Stockport town centre, the Interchange sees Stockport becoming more accessible and sustainable than ever before. Designed with future Metrolink integration in mind, Stockport Interchange plays a crucial role in cementing the town as one of the best-connected towns in the North West.

The Interchange also delivers a new two-acre park, the first park to have been built on top of a transport hub, as well as 196 new high-quality apartments, developed by CityRise which are due to complete in the summer 2024.

The Interchange will play a key role in the Bee Network – Greater Manchester’s vision for an integrated, London-style transport system – when Stockport joins in early January 2025.

Speaking on the Interchange opening, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, said: “Stockport now has an absolutely world-class transport interchange that will play a key role in bringing prosperity to the town and its people in the future.

“Safe, reliable and affordable public transport and active travel facilities are central to improving life for people and businesses in Greater Manchester and I have no doubt this impressive new interchange will do just that.

“These new connections will open up more opportunities for people to access jobs, skills and education, while supporting the regeneration of the area by attracting increased footfall and investment.

“When we set up the Mayoral Development Corporation it was about delivering an ambitious vision for the town and the interchange is showing this mission in action.

“In January 2025, the Bee Network is coming to Stockport and eventually it will be the first area in Greater Manchester serviced by a fully electric bus fleet. By providing people with a modern, attractive and accessible interchange we will get more people on these buses – allowing us to keep prices down and continue to improve the network.”

Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, added: “Today is a landmark day in the history of our town.

“Stockport has always been pioneering and ambitious, establishing itself as a leading centre for textiles during the Industrial Revolution and setting the standard for urban renewal with the ‘space age’ Merseyway shopping centre – a 1960s feat of engineering across the River Mersey.

“And our £1bn town centre regeneration programme – one of the largest nationally – is reinventing and spectacularly transforming the heart of our borough now and for the future.

“We are already among the 12 best places to retire in the UK (Which?) and one of the 12 best places to buy your first home (The Times). However, we are committed to making Stockport a place of opportunity for all. A place everyone is proud to call home.

“The Interchange and Viaduct Park are the real heartbeat of Stockport’s £1billion transformation and this is only the start for our borough.”

Stockport Interchange is a major milestone within the first phase of Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation’s (MDC) 130-acre £500m regeneration masterplan, one of the largest town centre regenerations being delivered in the UK.

Following the completion of the Interchange, this year Stockport MDC will continue to work with leading developer Capital&Centric to bring forward the restoration of Weir Mill, a Grade II listed mill building being transformed into 253 new apartments and a new cultural and leisure district due to complete in winter 2024. Consultation on the next phase of Stockport Exchange, the new business district for the town and Stockport8 are also currently underway.

Eamon Boylan, Interim Chair of Stockport MDC, added: “This year marks five years since Stockport MDC was established as key delivery vehicle for Stockport’s trailblazing regeneration. It is testament to the expertise and collaboration of our board and partners that we have been able to open a landmark scheme for the region in that time frame, despite the substantial socio-economic challenges.

“Delivering improved connectivity to employment and leisure experiences in the town and wider region, the Interchange is a key milestone in our mission to transform Stockport into the most liveable town in the UK. “Over the course of 2024 we will see even more major milestones brought forward within the Town Centre West masterplan, which will cement Stockport’s position as one of the most exciting, and, arguably more importantly, the most convenient, towns to live. “