Council prepares to make ‘critical’ Stockport 8 land swap
The council is hoping to take ownership of a site off Travis Brow in the town centre with a view to unlocking land to progress the £250m regeneration project.
Stockport Council’s regeneration committee will meet next week to sign off what it describes as a “critical” land swap. The deal will see land for some of Stockport 8’s 1,200 homes freed up, the relocation of the town’s ambulance station, and the creation of a new ZEBRA bus depot.
Stockport Council plans to take control of the current Ambulance Service facility at Travis Brow, where it wants to build a replacement depot for its fleet of electric buses.
The other half of the swap will require the ambulance service to move to a new-build facility on a former Hazel Grove park and ride site. Stockport Council has agreed to fund the development of the ambulance station.
The new bus depot at Travis Brow is required as the current one, located nearby, was acquired by the council in 2021 as part of the Stockport 8 land assembly process. The plan is to knock it down and build homes.
English Cities Fund was selected by Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation’s delivery partner for the scheme earlier this year.
With ECF on board, a planning application for the £250m scheme – which will see the creation of a digitally enabled, green, and fully walkable mixed-use neighbourhood – is expected to be submitted in summer 2024.
Cllr Colin MacAlister, cabinet member for economy, regeneration and housing said “This is a really important component of the council and Mayoral Development Corporation’s vision for delivering new homes and jobs in the borough.
“The brand-new ambulance station will provide better coverage for our residents which will in turn enable a new all-electric bus depot with 170 electric buses at Travis Brow and 1,200 new homes in Stockport 8. All of this will be achieved through partnership working with both the public sector – NWAS, TfGM and GMCA – and ECF.”
Stockport 8 forms part of the council and the MDC’s ongoing regeneration of the area west of the town centre.
Overall, the plans for the Town Centre West will see the creation of up to 4,000 homes, 1m sq ft of employment space, major public transport improvements, new green space, and local amenities over the next 15 years.
