Residential transformation planned for Stockport office

Developers Rowlinson and Housing Capital Trust have submitted an application to convert a former sorting office in Stockport, bordering Exchange Street and the A6, into a mixed apartment, office, and retail development.

Designed by architect Pozzoni, the project will include 117 apartments and 12,000 sq ft of commercial, office, or retail space over the first two floors. According to the architect, the commercial space is designed for “modest food and drink facilities, retail space, offices, and flexible workspaces”.

Food and drink space is proposed for the lower ground floor and office space will be on both the lower ground and ground floor levels.

The housing mix includes 91 one-bedroom apartments of around 540 sq ft each, and 26 two-beds of around 800 sq ft. The homes will be available for private rent.

The building, bordering Station Road, the A6, and Exchange Street, sits on one of the most prominent sites in Stockport town centre, and is near Muse’s wider Stockport Exchange regeneration scheme. It has been vacant since 2010 when the sorting office on site closed.

Plans include adding a rooftop extension of one floor to the building. The original double-height ceilings will also be removed to give the buildings six floors in total, including basement level.

There will also be an open atrium void in the centre of the building, starting at first floor level, and a green wall to the building’s A6 frontage. A brick plinth with also be installed with feature cladding proposed for the upper floors.

Alongside Pozzoni, the professional team includes Rowlinson as main contractor, Croft as transport planner, and Mosaic Town Planning.