Cheadle railway station funding secured

Whitehall has signed off the business cases for Stockport’s £13.9m Towns Fund projects, including an eco business park off Bird Hall Lane and cycling and walking improvements in Cheadle.

Stockport Council had been awarded £13.9m from the Towns Fund in July last year, but before funds could be released the government had to approve detailed business cases for each of the projects. Stockport submitted the business cases for its three schemes in March. The council announced it had secured government approval on Friday.

A railway station in Cheadle was one of the highlights of the Towns Fund schemes. Stockport Council said it would aim to deliver the station in phases, with the project completing by 2025. When finished, the railway station would boast one 100-metre-long platform, covered waiting facilities, live departure boards and ticket machines. Travellers would also have access to cycle parking, and electric vehicle chargers.

Subject to planning approval, the proposed 110,000 sq ft Cheadle Eco Business Park would sit on seven acres off Bird Hall Lane. The council hopes the business park will “demonstrate market-leading high environmental technologies and performance” according to a council report. The council is looking for a developer to aid in the project.

The cycling and walking route improvements are centred around improving sustainable travel links between Cheadle’s high street and the new rail station. The paths would also connect to cycle routes on Manchester Road and Abney Hall Park. Stockport council said work would start on these routes later this year.

Remarking on the government’s approval of the projects, Stockport Council Leader Cllr Mark Hunter said it was “great to see that we can start to run plans into reality”.

“I see these projects as benefitting the whole of Stockport for generations to come,” he said.

Cheadle Town Board interim chair Sharon Seville said: “We have worked tirelessly to bring this investment into Cheadle to help release its fantastic potential. There are still more hurdles to jump but we are all looking forward to the delivery of these game-changing projects over the coming years.”

Mary Robinson MP echoed her words.

”This is a great day for Cheadle and it’s fantastic to have secured this funding from the government,” Robinson said. “A new station will plug Cheadle into the public transport network and help to address local congestion. I’m so pleased that the station can now start to be brought forward.”