Stockport to sign off £5.5m Merseyway works

The council plans to carry out structural repairs to the shopping centre’s multistorey car park so that it is capable of supporting its growing pipeline of town centre developments. 

Stockport Council said the £5.5m project is required to “prevent further structural deterioration, ensure the safety of users, protect the car parking revenue stream and halt water ingress to retail units below the car park structure”. 

The investment comes despite a drop in the number of visitors to the car park since the pandemic. 

The revenue from Merseyway car park in 2019/20 was just shy of £1m, while the current 2021/22 forecast is £0.607m, according to the council. 

However, the authority believes that developments including Stockroom, Glenbrook’s STOK, and Capital&Centric’s Weir Mill could help the car park recover to pre-pandemic levels of use. 

“The Merseyway car park is increasing in importance with regards to the provision of parking within the town centre as other surface car parks are removed to facilitate redevelopment,” the council said. 

The council acquired the car park as part of its purchase of Merseyway Shopping Centre on 2016. 

If approved by Stockport Council’s cabinet, the Merseyway improvement works will be funded through borrowing repaid through the parking revenue budget.

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Knock it down and start again!

By Anonymous

Utter madness! They didn’t realise they were buying a lemon in 2016, they bought it from the receivers – the clues were there. Why are we letting Stockport Council loose with our money investing in a declining (and in this case crumbling) high street.

By jimbo

The point being.. people don’t want to pay for Parking, it’s that simple, if you want people to visit and purchase goods Don’t charge people by Stealth, As always with Stockport council shooting your self in the foot is ingrained within themselves

By Tony

Only use Boots but if there’s debris and dust everywhere, not a chance. Merseyway and Bedrock is an insult on the senses!

By Andy Grey Rider

Merseyway would probably be better off being pulled down – it’s time has passed. Build a retail/leisure/lifestyle and residential development using a street based pattern and open up more of the Mersey.

By SW

Is that not what is there now just with a slightly bigger roof??

By Anonymous

What a waste of our money . It would make more sense to demolish the precinct and start again . You can’t make a silk purse out of a sows ear ..

By Lyn

Total waste of money. Bite the bullet, demolish Merseyway and start again.

By MJW

It’s an eye sore, blow it up!

By Christine Stanley

This is maintenance not investment.
Stockport centre needs a total redevelopment making a feature of the river and an upgrade of facilities.

By Norman Walker

I agree it’s time to move forward. Precincts are the past. We need to see the river. When I was a child you could cross the river from one side to the other, imagine if we became a river side town again.

By G.B.

I agree with the majority of comments here – tear it down! And then use the money to build a lovely highstreet surrounded by the river Mersey, it would actually look rather nice imo.

By Rick

I agree with a lot of the comments here. Knock down the precinct and revert to a high street. Open up the river!

By Dorothy

Stockport precinct ‘The Merseyway’ ceased being a relevant shopping experience in the early nineties. Outdated, underfunded and fast becoming an eyesore.

By Neil

Pull Your Brains out from the file drawer & rethink. The Public need a Precinct not private flats. Also, have Your brains realised that Stepping Hill is better & easier to access near Heaton Lane than 2 miles near Offerton.

By Yvette

Having lived here all my 64yrs, and seen the council invest in all sorts of projects, I have never know them back down from making a decision even if it’s proven to be not needed or wanted. eg. Redrock. This new proposal for Merseyway, will go ahead no matter what the populace want or need. I believe it’s a case of give the people what We think they need, NOT what they want, again.

By Mr Leslie Martin Brehaut

Why go shopping in Stockport when you can go to the Trafford Centre which is inside and free parking. Knock it down and build an indoor shopping centre.

By Janet Jones

What’s left in the town centre should be condensed into one small area and the rest redeveloped. It’s way past its best and with empty units everywhere it looks terrible.

By Simon

Only this council would invest in car parks when retail is dead… Probably the same “not bright” person who thought having a hole in Mersey sq so you can see muddy water and pigeon poo was good for tourism.

By Peter

Lived and worked in Stockport all my live and seen enough of the place, the town centre has nothing to attract people in , loads of empty shops- Underbank and Princess Street the same. People go elsewhere, better cheaper parking, a market with more stalls, , look at Bury, Buxton , Leek, Chester, Macclesfield. I agree with everyone else, demolish the precinct – start again. Stockport council a waste of time.

By Anonymous

Develop the car park yes, but for the staff at the Town Hall to move to in order to be more accessible for the residents of Stockport. The staff will find it more convenient to travel to and park.

By Rebecca Robinson

The building work in the precinct is 70’s trash building do everyone a favour and knock it down. To spend millions attempting to save the poor building work is good money after bad.

By Rebecca Robinson

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