Stretford Mall in focus following council buy

After striking a deal to buy the mall in September, Bruntwood Works and Trafford Council are looking to showcase initial plans for the site at a public consultation, with options on the table include leisure, lifestyle, offices, and residential.

Place North West revealed Bruntwood and Trafford had agreed to buy the mall earlier this year and the partners are now aiming to gauge public views on how to proceed with developing the site.

Among the options being put forward are to attract more independent local businesses to the area; improving lifestyle and leisure offerings; and possible residential development, along with offices and commercial.

The mall was purchased from M&M Asset Management by an LLP company set up by the partners this summer.

M&M had already embarked on a major overhaul of the plot, demolishing around 61,000 sq ft of vacant retail space, as well as the O’Briens pub, to create improved access, updated facades, a new entrance, and green spaces fronting Chester Road.

Tenants at the mall include Aldi, Boots, Clarks, Costa Coffee, Heron Foods, and Holland & Barrett. While the vacancy rate remains high a series of new openings have boosted the mall including beer bar Head and a food hall run by the owner of Manchester’s Ancoats General Store.

A community drop-in session is being hosted at the mall on Monday 11 November between 2pm and 7:30pm where local residents can have their say on the future of the mall.

Cllr Andrew Western, leader of Trafford Council, said: “Trafford Council’s aim is to create successful and thriving places in the borough, with a particular focus on our town centres and local communities.

“Our recent joint acquisition of Stretford Mall along with the council’s other local landholdings like Lacy Street, provide us with the opportunity for an imaginative and comprehensive regeneration of Stretford town centre. For this to be successful, we need the community to be fully engaged. Regular and ongoing engagement will be vitally important and the drop-in session is an early chance to start discussion with the local community.”

Andrew Cooke, regional director at Bruntwood Works, added: “Bruntwood has a long history of breathing life back into town centres and creating places for communities to thrive. Working closely with our joint venture partners Trafford Council, and by listening to the views of the local community, we have a real opportunity to refresh the town centre and create an exciting new destination for the people of Stretford to enjoy.

“We look forward to discussing our ideas at this stage and we hope local people take the chance to attend next week’s drop-in session and share their feedback with us.”

The move is part of a wider deal with M&M which has seen Bruntwood and Trafford take over the 367,000 sq ft Stamford Quarter in Altrincham, and the former Clarendon House office, also in Altrincham.

The council and Bruntwood have set up three special-purpose companies as part of the deal – Trafford Bruntwood (Stretford Mall), Trafford Bruntwood (Stamford Quarter), and Trafford Bruntwood (Clarendon House), all of which are limited liability partnerships.

A limited company, Bruntwood Trafford Holdings, was also set up earlier this summer; it lists Bruntwood financial director of investments Sean Davies as its sole director. Bruntwood Trafford Holdings, along with Trafford Council, are listed as the two members of all three limited liability partnerships.

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That site needs to start from square one. Knock it all down, build a high street, include residential, offices, leisure. A mall is not needed at this spot.

By Allotmentlad

Completely agree needs to be a small high street to bring local life back into the open air so shopping etc in the different seasons gives variety from summer sunshine to Christmas lights etc

By Anonymous

I have thought for the past 10 years that Stretford would regenerated if the mall was demolished and a new open air King Street was created. The mall is the cause of a lifeless town centre.

By John

The precinct has been standing for sometime now. It has always been a vibration institution for the local community and offered a large variety of shops. I
I disagree with those that has said it should be knocked down. We lucky have somewhere to shop in doors Burntwood need to revise the costs of rental spaces and capture companies interests and their target markets.
The outside front space could be opened up during the Summer with parasols, and tables.

By Miss Mall

Stretford is not Urmston or Altrincham. There is not the demograph for a Mayor Mackie style venue there.

By Elephant

Cut the rent down in your shops and more shops will open and attract more customers have a area outside for market stalls every day or 3 days a week we don’t have a market and could do with one it will attract more people to the mall

By Susan warran

Also stretford is boring it needs more exciting things in the area to attract more clientel stretford mal use to be so busy full of exciting shops but everyone says the rents are too costly we’ll reduce the rent get your shops open the way I look at it its better to have some money than none at all and lots of empty shops hanging around and making the mall a lonely place to go please bring it back to life

By Susan warran

Stretford needs more shops open may be a outside market 3 days a week to attract more people it needs to make people want to come and shop there cut the rents down and may be more shops will open in the mall

By Susan warran

We need this mall you need to lower the rent and get all the empty shop’s open again.

By Susan day

They should open up the back of all the units along kingsway (e.g old conservative club) so they open out on the street. Quite a lot of space in front of them too. Looks a right mess at the moment. They should open up units all the way round so they face outwards.

By Bob Hoskins

Stretford mall is known for high rents & no customer & also it’s a trouble hotspot attracting local youths & drug dealers, years ago Mc Donald’s was there & the place was thriving the shops were fighting to get in there but its had its day, not only is it a eyesore STILL it’s a local traffic jam hotspot even without the shops full, Mahamad Ali had his day now knock it down & make it a high street shopping centre like the surrounding area, Chorlton, urmston & that who seem to prosper without all this controversy stretford mall seems to cause

By Edd

i agree with susan warren knock down the rent to open more shops and open indoor market again like before it use to to be so full of life when i moved in stretford 30 years ago use to love it then it started shops shutting down wilkinson , tesco, so on it was very deppresing please dont knock it down open more shops in it

By Tahira Malik

It’s a great local area for people to shop. Lower the rent and get some good stores opening up again.

By Naz

This shopping centre is competing with online shopping and unless government intervenes it will lose. It needs to host risk taking diverse entrepreneurial retailers with fresh ideas that will breath life into the place and attract consumers. No more cheap low quality products or covert monopolies but good quality at affordable prices for everyone which means rents and business rates MUST be lowered.

By Ganiyu Pierre Gasper

Stretford is being left behind. Many moons ago it had top brand furniture shops along with top brand electrical stores . Lower your rents and bring them back . Stretford needs this for job opportunities too .bring stretford back to life.

By Mr c

More shops Lower rents
Please do not pull it down Its a community for the people of Stretford where people meet
KEEP THE MALL

By we want the mall

About time!

By Pauline Jones

I’ve lived locally for 20 years and been in the mall about 3 times during that period. The place looks like a catering sized tub of margarine. The new entrance on the Chester road side of the mall is a complete waste of time as I’d guess 80% of people coming in and out use the other entrances near the car park end. it looks a lot better at that part but the rest still looks atrocious. i would bulldoze right through the middle and create a High St through the middle of it. Stretford doesn’t have a Town Centre, as a local resident i drive straight past and head into Sale.

By crikey blimey

Bulldoze it and build a social housing estate which is so badly needed

By Wobbly windows

This sounds a very exciting project and much needed in this area.
What about affordable rents for these small businesses? Some businesses have closed because the rents are too high!

By Brenda Darwick

It needs to get all the empty shops filled and up and running again. It looks shocking walking through to the emptiness. Childrens clothing store, florist, play centre, butchers, high street shops, bring back new look, superdrug. A market for local small businesses a few days a week

By Leanne

Lower rents and have market daily or at least 3-4 times a week. Allow young local people to set up business and support them to do so. Make it locally run for local people giving opportunities locally at affordable set up prices. Reduce local poverty and unemployment

By Debbie koroma

Ganiyu Pierre Gasper is bang on. But I don’t think the rents will necessarily be the issue for a lot of the shops here; its the business rates. If the Council could reduce or remove these then I have no doubt Bruntwood/Trafford could get the right people in.

By Anonymous

Please don’t close the mall entirely. It needs a revamp and new shops. It always had something for everyone and a community feel and we need that back. The potential is there let’s do it

By Sharon

I hope Altrincham residents aren’t paying for this, that wouldn’t be fair

By Carl

Stretford Precent needs to remain open, I like being able to be inside and go from shop to shop.
Like the other commentators you need to lower the rates and bring back the Butchers, Superdrug, B & M, Wilkinson, New Look just to name a few shops that I regularly shopped in. Instead of going to Sale for these stores, I could be spending money in my local area.
Attract these back and other quality stores and Stretford will boom.
Bring back a Cinema to Stretford to.

By V.Beaumont

Nice to know that you are looking at Stretford and you want people view s we have Trafford buying up area around Stretford we have empty properties (Highfield Close ) will the housing around Stretford be part of you remit as we have know that some of the properties are in need or repair but others could be let out we are loosing income from them also we should be telling the people in Highfield Close and surrounding area as I have wrote to Trafford housing but the answers where they will be making a decision.

By William Synnott

Needs a bulldoze right through the middle and create a High St through the middle of it. Stretford, just a huge traffic jam!!

By Eric m

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