Plans have been submitted for a multi-million pound redevelopment of Stockport town centre
It will include a new transport interchange with a two-acre park on top.
Stockport town centre is changing beyond all recognition.
This is how the latest element of the mammoth £1bn plan to transform the area will look - a huge new transport interchange with a two-acre park ON TOP.
In the shadow of Stockport’s famous viaduct, the new bus hub will become the epicentre of the town’s transport network and could eventually welcome trams.
The final blueprints for the huge plan have finally been tabled after years of work.
The plans also include 200 flats.
It’s set to cost £120m but council bosses say it will be well worth it.
The current, outdated bus station will be bulldozed. It has stood as a sign of a bygone decade as the rest of the town centre has been developed around it.
Town hall chiefs say the bus station will be more than that – it will be a ‘transport interchange’, where people will have easy access to other modes of getting about.
There will be a bridge to Stockport train station; a new bridge over the River Mersey to Heaton Lane; a new link road between the A6 and Travis Brow; upgraded frontage onto Mersey Square; and a new cycle hub, as the council looks to slash congestion through the centre of Stockport.
A ‘green roof’ – essentially a giant park – will sit on top of the hub.
Town hall chiefs are confident trams will soon run into the area, insisting it’s a matter of ‘when, not if’.
The new transport hub has been a long-term ambition for the town hall.
As the proposals have been drawn up, they have evolved from just being about transport links into ‘something much bigger’, council leader Coun Ganotis recently said.
A 196-home apartment block, which is expected to cost around £39m to build – will sit beside the interchange.
Local leaders say the plans – the latest in a series of proposals to completely overhaul Stockport town centre – will help make the town centre a more ‘attractive’ place to live, to work and relax.
Alex Cropper, Transport for Greater Manchester’s head of projects, said: “The scheme is hugely ambitious, but we feel it’s befitting of a town centre that’s currently enjoying a massive transformation.
“No other transport interchange in Greater Manchester will compare to this one.
“It will be unique in featuring a two-acre park on its roof and high-quality residential apartments in close proximity.
“It’s an exciting time for Stockport town centre and we’re determined to build the community a modern transport hub it can be proud for many years to come.”
Other recent developments include the ‘One Stockport Exchange’ office block next to the train station. There are plans for a second building.
A £145m flagship office development will become a business ‘hub’, bosses say.
The town’s £45m Redrock leisure complex beside the M60 is finished – boasting a 10-screen cinema, restaurants, bars, shops and a 340 space multi-storey car park.
The council’s development chief Kate Butler said: “This is such an important project for Stockport and will take the transformation of the town centre to the next level.
“We believe that the creation of a new park, new homes, and modern public transport facilities will all be great additions to our town.”
Work could start on the transport interchange next autumn, subject to planning permission