MIPIM | Lord Barwell takes Stockport chair

Former housing minister Lord Gavin Barwell is now the figurehead of the town’s Mayoral Development Corporation, newly expanded this year.

The announcement was made at MIPIM by Stockport MDC managing director Catherine Chilvers. It comes weeks after government approved the first boundary extension of a UK MDC, Stockport having become something of a poster-child for the delivery vehicle.

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Such a high-profile appointment is also in line with some of Greater Manchester’s other MDCs, which have names such as Lord Sebastian Coe and Steve Coogan involved.

Barwell’s appointment comes nearly three years after the death of former Stockport MDC chair Lord Bob Kerslake. Eamonn Boylan had acted as interim chair as the MDC began its hunt for a replacement.

When questioned about the reason for the gap in chairs, Stockport Council’s current deputy chief executive and former chief executive of Stockport MDC Paul Richards said it was about waiting to find the right person for the job.

As for Barwell, he worked alongside Kerslake in the past and described Kerslake’s work at Stockport as “a powerful legacy”.

“I want to build on that and improve on that,” Barwell told Place North West.

An expanded MDC

As chair, the Conservative peer Barwell will help steer Stockport’s £1bn regeneration programme – forecast to reach £2bn by 2040.

Stockport Council, which is currently under no overall control, has doubled its ambition for town centre living, raising its housing target from 4,000 to 8,000 new homes by 2040. Expanding the MDC gives it punching power on sites to the eastern side of the A6, including land earmarked for a town centre secondary school and a modern health hub.

Barwell said: “My priority is to help turn the vision that has progressed through Parliament into reality, delivering development that benefits not only those within the MDC area but the wider borough as well.”

He continued: “I’m also eager to continue to raise the profile of Stockport nationally, showcasing it as a genuine trailblazer and an example for other towns to learn from.”

Government talk

Barwell, a member of the House of Lords, served as minister of state for housing and planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government from July 2016 to June 2017 and then as Downing Street chief of staff from June 2017 to July 2019.

Since leaving government, the former MP has worked with the National Housing Build Council Foundation and as a non‑executive director of Clarion Housing Group.

It is this background in government that Barwell is hoping to leverage for Stockport’s benefit, he told Place.

He also, through his policy background and his current job advising companies on geopolitics, understands the importance of political stability. This, he said, is Stockport’s strength. All of the political parties have bought into the MDC vision,.

“I’ve seen other places where there’s potential, but it doesn’t get delivered because there’s political disagreement about what to do,” he said.

“Here, you’ve got that kind of unity that provides a real opportunity to drive us forward.”

He did note that the national government picture may not be as stable as Stockport on a local level – but he was optimistic that the MDC could weather a political storm.

“I’m confident that we’re going to have a strong case and that we’re going to be able to build good relationships within the government system,” he told Place.

Stockport’s appeal

When he first came up to Stockport for an interview for the chair role, Barwell said he walked around for three hours in the borough. He wanted to see both what had been developed and where those future projects would sit.

Stockroom was an immediate success in his eyes.

“I went straight to my local council and said ‘you need to go look at this thing. It’s an amazing re-envisaging of what a library could be like.'”

Seeing projects like that already complete inspired Barwell.

He also described town as similar to his home of Croydon, which he said views itself as both its own distinct place as well as a part of London.

“I think there’s a similar there,” he said. “Stockport has got its own identity, its a place of real scale, but it’s also a part of Greater Manchester.”

The Leader and Mayor react

Stockport Council Leader, Cllr Mark Roberts – a Liberal Democrat – said: “From its inception, Stockport MDC has been rooted in cross‑party consensus, and that unity has been one of our greatest strengths – giving investors confidence, building strong partnerships, and enabling bold decisions that keep Stockport at the forefront of UK town centre regeneration.

“Lord Barwell’s depth of national housing experience will be a huge asset as we enter this next major phase, ensuring Stockport continues to set the standard for town centre renewal.”

GM Mayor Andy Burnham said: “Stockport has been a genuine trailblazer for the Mayoral Development Corporation model, proving that working in partnership and using innovative powers can unleash ambitious, place-and people-first regeneration and deliver good growth.

“The appointment of a new chair, alongside the recently approved boundary expansion, represents the start of an exciting new chapter for Stockport, with ambitious plans to deliver more homes, more jobs and more public spaces.

“And what’s happening in Stockport is just the beginning, as we look to expand this approach to Middleton, Bolton, Tameside, and Oldham. MDCs are now the proven model for helping to ensure good growth benefits everyone, everywhere.”