Retail primed for Redrow’s Woodford garden village

The housebuilder’s Harrow Estates division has lodged plans for a 16,603 sq ft local retail centre to serve new homes at the former airfield site.

Set across two wings, the two-storey complex will be topped by a floating roof design. The plans also include six two-bedroom apartments.

A convenience store will account for 5,000 sq ft of the total, with 5,899 sq ft of commercial units and a further 6,243 sq ft requested for flexible commercial space.

Lichfields is the planner and Juice Architects the designer.

The professional team also includes Vectos, Spectrum, Fabrik, BWB Consulting, Aptus Utilities, Paul Chester & Associates, Betts Geo Environmental, APM, Stroma and Trevor Bridge Associates.

Billed by the developer as Woodford Garden Village, the overall development of the 500-acre ex-aerodrome was consented in 2014, with that permission allowing for 950 homes, shops, a primary school, The Aviator pub-restaurant – opened by JW Lees this February – and village greens.

The final main residential phase, comprising 295 homes, was approved in November last year.

The retail site sits on the main Chester Road, next to the pub site and close to the long-established garden centre on the opposite side of the road. It was formerly occupied partly by aerodrome buildings and partly by Bodycote Heat Treatment.

Concluding its design & access statement, Juice said: “The centre is to provide a community-focused asset to support the emerging residential neighbourhood at Woodford Garden Village as well as the existing wider Woodford community.

“The scheme design therefore has focused on place-making to create an inviting and comfortable public realm that attracts and encourages visitors.”

Stockport Council has now validated the plans. The reference number is DC/085887.