UKREiiF | ECF picked for £250m Stockport regeneration
The council and the Mayoral Development Corporation have selected English Cities Fund to deliver the next phase of the 130-acre town centre west scheme.
ECF – a joint venture between Muse, Legal & General and Homes England – beat off competition from two other consortia for the 1,200-home job.
The underbidders were a partnership between Drum Property Group and Graham Investments, and another comprising Glenbrook and Bruntwood. The shortlist for the final three bidders was revealed by Place North West 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.
The first phase could complete by 2027, according to Stockport Council.
Sir Michael Lyons, chair of ECF, said: “We welcome this opportunity to be a part of an ambitious programme of town centre regeneration, and to play an important role in the long-term growth and ambition of Stockport.
“We understand what can be achieved with strong local leadership, effective collaboration between public and private sectors and patient investment. Our shared emphasis on quality homes, public realm, and commitment to creating an inviting place bodes well.”
Established in 2001, ECF is no stranger to large regeneration schemes. In Salford, the consortium is delivering Salford Central and Salford Crescent, two projects that together provide thousands of homes and millions of sq ft of offices.
Elsewhere, ECF is also driving the regeneration of St Helens and Earlestown.
ECF’s appointment in Stockport came after the partnership demonstrated it shared the MDC’s long-term vision for the site, according to Lord Kerslake, chair of Stockport MDC.
Stockport 8 features plans for 1,200 homes. Credit: via Stockport MDC
“It speaks volumes about the strength of the opportunity in Stockport that, within just one year of starting our search for a new development partner for Stockport 8, we have secured a long-term joint venture with ECF,” he said.
“Work to deliver the Town Centre West masterplan is continuing at pace, with a number of our landmark schemes completing this year and next.”
These projects include Stockport Interchange, the redevelopment of the town’s ageing bus station, and Weir Mill, Capital&Centric’s transformation of a derelict site close to Stockport Viaduct.
Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, said: Between Weir Mill and Stockport Interchange, this new [Stockport 8] neighbourhood will complement our other major developments, as well as deliver new jobs and contribute to a vibrant town centre.
“Stockport Council and ECF are united in our goal to deliver genuine, long-lasting social value. We were impressed by ECF’s commitment to an inclusive approach, in order to best unlock the potential of Stockport 8 and deliver a mixed-use neighbourhood that will help existing and future communities to thrive in Stockport.”
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.
The masterplan will inject an additional £5.9m in business rates and £117m in GVA into the local economy every year, according to the MDC.
How many of these homes will be affordable for young first time buyers as there is a lack of these type of homes in the Stockport area?
By Paul Bellis, former Stockport Councillor
What are all those egg shapes
By Anon 1
Fantastic partnership and will change the look of Stockport. Please incorporate the old derelict buildings in the scheme especially nr The Plaza.
By Anonymous
How underwhelming. Thought we may get something different when I saw the shortlist
By Same old
Stockport is clearly on the list of next large towns to be overdeveloped,
By Nightwatchmen
so every GM town just picks the same developer! Yawn!
By bemorebrave
@Anon 1 those are giant eggs.. baked into the scheme hopefully!
By manc
Yesterday I drove down Brinksway towards town centre, first time for about a year.
Looks like SMBC planners are using New York as their idea of town centre living, everyone living in apartment blocks.
Did we not learn anything from the 60’s.
By Paul Duce
getting tired of seing the same old banal designs. Orange and white boxes. Can’t we see something different for a change – something esthetically more challenging and yes more beautiful?
By John
Does this mean that The Pyramid will be converted into luxury apartments?!
By Mrs Cynical
A few years ago Stockport won the National Carbunkle Award for the incredibly ugly and disproportionate Red Rock development. It is well on track to win more such ‘awards’. The ghastly, overscale and architecturally bland tower being built now at the over-expensive ego trip ‘bus station’ is another candidate. Yes, I fear Stockport will be over-developed with out-of-scale, bland, characterless towers as it tries to mirror Manchester. Sad, for what was once an attractive town.
By Roy G Chapman
So more hipster apartments nobody who’s actually from the area can afford then?
By P I Staker
Exciting times for stockport
By Lynda phillips
Quelle surprise – ECF. why bother running a competition.
By huh
@Paul Duce, apartment living isn’t just a NY thing, it’s the standard right across Europe, from Barcelona to Berlin, Seville to Stockholm or Rome to Rotterdam. It’s used right around the world near major transport centres whether in hugely successful new world cities like Melbourne to historic capitals like Paris. It’s the right way to design urban centres, with high density living in town centres around major transport infrastructure. In comparison, some of the worst urban areas in the developed world are those cities that ignore this, whether deprived places in the UK or the “flyover” cities of urban sprawl middle America. So yeah, no problems at all with the concept of this development.
By Jo
This is more good news for the town, not so long ago people were mocking Redrock and created a campaign to vote it carbunkle of the year and now it’s proved massively popular and looks pretty good too, people derided the pyramid and now it’s a much loved icon, ignore the cynics this is brilliant and will bring more and more people back into the centre. The Stockport suburbs have always been popular, now the centre is having its long overdue moment.
By Xavier