Stockport ready for Redrock

Phelan Construction has started fit-out work on the 10-screen Light cinema as Stockport Council confirmed a late November opening for its flagship leisure scheme.

Mike Thomson, commercial director at The Light Cinemas, said: “We are really looking forward to opening in Stockport. Customers are at the heart of The Light and we want everyone to have a trip to the cinema they will remember. Redrock is an exciting new destination and we are delighted to be part of it.”

Cllr Kate Butler, Stockport Council’s cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said: “It’s exciting to see the fit-out work at Redrock bringing the building to life as the opening gets closer. Redrock will be a fantastic addition to Stockport.

“We’re serious about transforming our town and as developments begin to open it’s easy to see the scale of the opportunities being created for everyone in Stockport.”

Wates is main contractor on the project and BDP is the architect.

Along with The Light, there will be 38,000 sq ft of leisure and retail space at the £45m scheme. Zizzi and Pizza Express are also due to be ready for opening date, with Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Mangobean Coffee to follow. It is understood that two retail units are under offer.

The Light’s opening comes as Cineworld prepare to close its doors. The cinema, part of the 1990s Grand Central leisure scheme, is making way for the next phase of Muse Developments’ Stockport Exchange, an office building for which hopes will be high, following the letting of phase two’s 45,000 sq ft office block to Stagecoach.

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What an eyesore!

By Tony Heyes

Awful building.

By .

This building has achieved that which was previously thought to be impossible.

It makes Stockport look worse.

By SK What

The building looks awful, but still great to see any form of development in Stockport, it feels like there’s real momentum in the town, from roads, to offices, hotels and restaurants.
Hoping some residential developments are on their way soon to match.

By Vincent

Instead of adding the awful looking development why didn’t they make the town centre look better adding nice new shops instead of charity shops pound shops and how many more sports shops does Stockport need,

By Rebecca

I like it, something Stockport needs and its a tad different than your boring normal brick façade approach or curtain walling design. This will help to improve the surrounding ’round a pound’ shops and make what was a previously an eyesore a vibrant and colourful area to visit.

I for one appreciate the investment and redevelopment of Stockport Centre and we couldn’t rely on private developers to do it off their own back and without the councils input we would have been waiting another 20 years for something to happen!.
Quite excited about the Stockport Exchange site as hopefully this will rid the area of the scallies and undesirables that have loitered around this area for too long, and bring in some long overdue investment and employment opportunities to the area.

By Anonymous

Stockport benefits from being the largest GM town near to the airport. It seems to be doing much better than the rest. Compared to Bolton a place of a similar size, it seems confident and progressive. Andy Burnham needs to act now, because we are getting a distinct North South divide in this conurbation and it is getting wider each year.

By Elephant

awful

By Anonymous

When will jobs be advertised thankyou

By Caroline

Looks awful. The money should of been spent on more homes or helping the homeless. It’s going to a magnet for stockport finest!!!

By Gemma

The concept is fine, but the delivery is terrible. It looks extremely cheap compared to similar schemes elsewhere, in spite of the south Manchester demographic it should benefit from. It feels like someone must be making a fortune out of it.

By Gene Walker

They need to fix the floor through the outdoor part of Merseyway, the amount of people mostly elderly that fall over is horrendous. Surprised they haven’t sued

By Anonymous

Is an eyesore of a building. Along with the ugly looking multi storey car park with red cladding.

By JH

Developer, architect, planners and planning committee hang your heads in shame. That is an awful piece of ‘architecture’ and right slap bang next to the M60, hardly enticing to a passer-by. What sort of an impression does this give?

That rear elevation was always going to be difficult but how wrong have they got it. It makes my blood boil every time I see it. Single worst planning disaster in Stockport of the last 20 years?

By NC

Why the garish colours giving the place the look of plastic.
Not in keeping with Stockport’s rather more ‘elegant’ buildings. Makes the town look cheap and tatty. What a shame to miss such a rare opportunity to build something a bit special.

By Ann Smith

The only saving grace for this is it hides the rest of Stockport.

Did they design three different schemes, chop them up, then say ‘let’s build that – no one will notice!?’

By Mr T

It is hideous, what an ugly building from the outside, eyesore is not adequate enough a word looks like a throwback from the early sevevties. Aaaargh!

By James Fisher

Put a Selfridges in stockport!!

By Halli

And the cereal box design competition winner …

By Mike

All they need to do is make one stupid, greedy mistake and it will all turn to a gost town.
Please don’t charge for parking.

By Pete

It really is the most tacky eyesore of a building. I’m so sad, this could have enhanced the area but instead makes it look more messy.

By Elaine Nagle

I like it, it’s different . Sometimes in life we need change,

By Graham fletcher

The Rock in Bury is probably the benchmark for modern town centre development. Nothing has come close to it before or since. Another good scheme is Liverpool Shopping Park, a bog standard big box retail park but they’ve managed to incorporate some really decent cladding.

By manc

Bring back Disney Store

By Anonymous

I think its fantastic & all very exciting & it’s lovely to have the cinema & retail together in the town centre, I think the centre will become much more popular & less looking like a ghost town with shops closing down. I say well done to all those who have put all this together, I can’t wait to see it finished!

By Janine

Can Mike Thompson reassure us about the air quality of each screen area situated as they will be alongside the motorway?

By Christopher John Greenn

Yes. I can.

By Mike Thomson

You’ve seriously missed the mark here.
Individually the buildings are ugly. Collectively they are a monstrosity. I cringe every time I drive past them.

By Peter

Already looks like it’s starting to fall apart, even before it’s completed as I drive past every morning on my way to work.
Who on earth sat in a room together and agreed….. “yes! Let’s go for something like this”?????
Wowza!!!!!

By Rob Gorton

Hideous. An eyesore at best!

By Grahame

Some good stuff going on in Stockport especially around the market area – but this isn’t one of them – it’s ugly in the extreme, another Grand Central type disaster,. We should be asking SMBC how they can justify such an awful looking construction – plastic and tacky and will be dated in 5 years

By Steve B

I cannot believe that trained professionals such as architects, designers etc etc have been able to come up with this claptrap and actually pass it off as an attractive building that no doubt will prove to be the foundation of other redevelopment in the Borough. I have a friend with a three year old grand daughter who could have constructed this in legs in about half an hour.
Anyone actively involved in this deve

By Harry Bull

Horrible, no asset to Stockport garish colour scheme makes it look cheap and tacky. Will go to Ashton

By Beryl hatton

Really so so ugly – architects and planners should be ashamed. Cheap appearance and garish facade detracts from the viaduct and dramatic rock outcrop on the opposite side of the motorway. Hopefully will be entered into ‘carbuncle of the year’ competition as will probably win. What a wasted opportunity.

By SG

Ugly eyesore , disgracefull waste of tax payers money , planners should be sacked , so many people expressed dame opinion

By Eunice Arrowsmith

What a hideous looking building

By Jayne

I haven’t lived in Stockport for a few years but when I visited the other week I saw the building… looks completely out of place to the rest of the town absolutely hideous building, also very sad to hear more places at grand central will be closing as that was the go to place for me when I was a child… hoping the interior is a darn sight better looking than the outside!

By Lulu

A disgrace what an eyesore !! Why didn’t they redevelop the precinct open up the river and build cafes and restaurants along side ? What a missed opportunity an absolute shambles !!!

By Ray P

Why would people come to Stockport and pay parking charges when they can go to the Trafford Centre and park for free? Also Redrock is an eyesore, not at all inviting.

By Anonymous

Redrock so let’s clad it in blue. Genius

By Fraggle redrock

Awful… this will kill Underbanks and Merseyway

By Dave Shaw

Looks so stupid that’s all I can say, I no longer live in Stockport but this is an eyesore.

By Andy

How can anyone comment on the architecture until they remove the blue and red splotchy portacabins ? Stockport Council – don’t you just love them!

By andy firth

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