Morbaine’s Stockport retail plan to progress 

The Railway Pub and Carpetright store would be demolished under the developer’s plans to create a 16,000 sq ft unit on the Great Portwood Street site.

Morbaine predicts the project, which would see retail space at the site increased by just under 2,000 sq ft, would increase turnover by £900,000 a year, according to a planning statement. 

The developer has been in talks with various potential occupiers for the Stockport site but no deal has been signed as of yet. 

Stockport Council is due to approve Morbaine’s plans when the authority’s planning committee meets on Thursday. 

Located off Great Portwood Street and bounded by Brewery Street and Avenue Street, the site has long been earmarked for redevelopment. 

In 2005, Stockport granted Morbaine permission for a 10,000 sq ft retail development on the plot. Six years later, Sainsbury’s lodged plans to build a 70,000 sq ft shop there. Sainsbury’s plans were later withdrawn. 

Under the latest proposals, Morbaine proposes the creation of a store with a 10,000 sq ft ground floor and 6,000 sq ft mezzanine level. 

“The ground floor is intended to be used for the sale of class A1 goods and the mezzanine floor to be used for back of house, storage, office and staff facilities,” according to the planning statement. 

The Harris Partnership is the architect for the Stockport project. 

Previously, Morbaine has developed stores for Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Morrisons, among others.