County’s Edgeley Park expansion tipped to progress

Stockport Council’s central area planning committee is also expected to approve 245 apartments at the Fletcher Street car park site at its meeting next week, a proposal from Progressive and Picture This.

Approval at central area committee would mean the applications, both significant schemes in the town, would move on to the local authority’s main planning committee with a strong case.

Stockport County, enjoying a bumper run under the well-heeled ownership of Vita Group’s boss Mark Stott, have long desired to improve and expand the historic Edgeley Park ground.

The club and its team – led by architect FWP and planner Asteer – propose a phased development, as is common in a sport with only a brief off-season. The overarching goal is the addition of around 7,400 seats to the ground’s capacity, taking it to more than 18,000.

Full permission is sought for the demolition of the existing East Stand, historically known as the uncovered Railway End, and its replacement with a new stand that along with seating and supporter facilities will include club offices and community areas. Some clearance of structures to either side is also required.

Also included in this application are the refurbishment and extension of the North Stand (the traditional main stand, more recently known as the Danny Bergara Stand) towards the new stand, car and coach parking, and ancillary floodlighting, along with landscaping, public realm works, media screen and associated infrastructure.

Outline permission is requested for a new South Stand – the side of Edgeley Park historically known as the Popular Side – which again, will include spectator seating, F&B, retail and office and community space. This phase will also include the western expansion of the North Stand, so that it runs the full length of the pitch. Again, improved parking, landscaping and associated infrastructure is included.

In summary:

• North Stand: historic pitched roof to be removed and replaced with a monopitch system, at the same height. An accessible viewing platform will be added for disabled fans, and facilities revamped.
• East Stand: a new single-tier stand accommodating 4,449 fans, up from the current 1,366 capacity. To be of similar height to the Cheadle End behind the opposite goal.
• South Stand: a new stand with more than double the capacity of the current structure, at 5,500. Increased parking to the rear.

Engagement with the local community has seen an objection from the Edgeley Wildlife Reserve Group, while in general there have been 41 objections and 191 statements of support.

AEW is the architect for the Progressive/Picture This scheme. Credit: planning documents

Approval is also recommended for a 245-apartment project at the site of Victoria House and the Fletcher Street car park in the town centre.

Applicant PL Victoria, a partnership between Picture This and Progressive, is advised by Euan Kellie Property Solutions.

As set out by officers, the proposed development includes 100 one-bedroom apartments, 91 two-bedroom apartments, 42 three-bedroom apartments and 12 two-bed townhouses.

The scheme has support from the GMCA’s brownfield development fund.

The proposed development is broken into three elements and rises from eight storeys on Fletcher Street, to 12 storeys on Wellington Street and 20 storeys at the corner of Piccadilly – although as officers note, the topography of the site means the visual impact is less than it might appear.

The three elements are the main tower on the corner of Piccadilly and Wellington Street (Block A), the main block on Fletcher Street (Block B) and the central link block, which contains a double height atrium space for the main entrance.

Nine townhouses are on the ground floor of Block B facing and with direct access from the ‘Street with No Name’ and the other three are in Block A.

SCFC’s application number is DC/092211 and PL’s DC/094653 on the Stockport portal.