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 Sainsbury’s plans were later withdrawn.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.
Again tinkering around the edges. Stockport’s precinct wants demolishing and brought up to date. As it is we have all these pockets of retail space, which make the town disjointed. Until the council takes the bull by the horns and does something positive, it will always be a sixties carbuncle with modern building around it.
By Joyce Taylor
While some element of redevelopment is needed demolishing the Railway seems such a shame. The last standing legacy of the lines that passed by that part of the town. All for a building that will likely spend time unoccupied.
By Rebecca Bradley
No more stock glass retail boxes let’s have housing near the river how unimaginative can you get with this out dated idea
By Jackie wagg
Please make sure parking is free. I know of several people that will try and park their car any where other than on the Peel Center and also know that there are folk that won’t come to Stockport because of parking charges. No wonder people to to out of town shopping sites.
By Margaret Bailey
@Margaret Bailey – are you completely oblivious of the rapidly declining state of the planet? Parking is never actually ‘free’ as it’s costing future generations far more than you could ever imagine!
By Ardy
Margaret Bailey – why should parking be free? You’re taking up valuable space in town centre locations just because you don’t want to take public transport or walk. “Free parking” shifts the costs onto the rest of society. If I wanted to store my fridge in the street, the council would tell me to remove it. Yet parking an enormous car wherever people want is perfectly acceptable apparently.
By Anonymous
I am originally from Stockport and live in Hyde now, retailing is disappearing from all town’s. I went to Stockport the other week for the second time this year. Its like a ghost town now, except for Primark that was quite busy. Don’t see how it can improve unless they modernise the whole shopping centre.
By Sarah
What a waste of space that would be. The old railway pub should have a preservation order and the surrounding area flattened for green space.
They should concentrate on the Merseyway, it’s a sight for sore eyes.
By Unimpressed
We need stockport centre demolished and rebuilt with shops cafes and independent food retailers so we can buy clothes etc without the waiting for deliveries, paying excessive delivery and return charges and I want to be able to see what’s on offer real time. I used to love popping into town for a look at what’s on offer, then popping to get coffee or lunch. Without a shopping centre we are living more sedentary lives. It’s about time this Council pulled it’s finger out and asked every household what we want, or do they want to be remembered for killing a town centre.
By Christine Pennington
I agree with Christine apart Stockport’s shopping centre.
I would rebuild this at a higher density, taking some inspiration from Old Town but perhaps done in a slightly contemporary way.
There is always a need for some physical clothes shops where customers can try things on, feel the wares, make returns, etc.
I would also add some residential apartments over the shops, this will make this part of the town centre more lively and help with the borough’s housing needs.
Anything else now is just tinkering at the edges.
By Steve W
Another soulless building encouraging yet more traffic into Stockport centre..a green space with trees to counteract the motorway would be a better option?
There’s so many empty buildings in and around the centre of Stockport..empty for years side on to Primart was the large co-op retail store..what plans for that I wonder?
We ended up with Redrock !!
By C Pollard
Why oh why should Railway pub be demolished?? It is a community pub, people travel from miles around to visit the Railway. Do you honestly think that building more retail units is the answer?? Retail is dead on its feet. The Railway pub isn’t!! Does Stockport Council or developers care about the community it serves? In a word, no, it’s all about money!!
By Malcolm Stelfox
Yes agree with Margaret , despite the occasional wittering we have from the usual suspects Stockport needs to ensure we have adequate parking particularly for the increasing number of infirm and elderly people never mind that most of society will choose their personal transport of choice particularly as we continue to electrify.
By Anonymous
The best cities and towns are those which prioritise pedestrians, the worst and ugliest are those which have acres and acres of windswept car parking. Think of York, Edinburgh, Chester, Amsterdam, Copenhagen etc etc – all people-friendly cities. Entitled motorists need to consider why they think it’s ok to expect to be able to store their enormous junk of metal in busy city centres – at the expense of taxpayers and the environment.
By Anonymous
LA and Dubai are nicer than any of those cities and allow cars.
By YS