Start nears for Stockport’s Academy of Living Well 

Construction of a 70-bed care facility on the former St Thomas’ Hospital site is due to begin early next year. 

A report to Stockport’s economy and regeneration committee provides an update on the development, which will see the Shaw Heath site brought back into use after two decades of dereliction. 

The report says that Stockport Council, which acquired the site from Homes England in 2019, is now in the process of appointing a contractor, with enabling work scheduled to begin before the new year. 

After being approved at committee more than a year ago, a formal decision notice for St Thomas’ Gardens was handed down in May. 

The scheme will see the former St Thomas’ Hospital redeveloped into a 70-bedroom care facility named the Academy of Living Well, and 68 affordable homes.  

The four-storey care home would aim to provide support for people transitioning between hospital and home and would be managed by Stockport Homes.   

The additional residential element comprises 35 apartments contained within the three grade two-listed buildings on the site.    

A further two buildings are earmarked for 19 apartments and the remaining 13 affordable homes are to be new-build townhouses. The tenure mix would be 80% shared ownership and 20% social rent. 

When the hospital closed in 2004, Stockport College acquired the plot and progressed plans to expand the college, which is located nearby. 

There are eight buildings on the site currently. Three will be demolished, three will be retained and refurbished, and two will be partially knocked down with their facades retained.  

PRP is the architect and NJL Consulting is the planner.  

St Thomas’ Gardens is located close to Royal George Village, the redevelopment of part of the Stockport College site by Investar Property Group.  

Investar’s plans feature 442 apartments and around 25,000 sq ft of office space.