Stockport in stand-off with Stagecoach over land for £350m regen scheme
Talks over a deal for a bus depot off Daw Bank have broken down after the council refused to meet the operator’s financial demands, prompting the authority to use compulsory purchase powers to acquire the site.
Despite protracted negotiations, Stockport Council and Stagecoach have failed to reach an agreement over an important piece of land the authority needs to deliver Stockport 8, a £350m, 1,300-home regeneration scheme.
A council report published today states that a CPO is now needed to prevent “significant delays” to a major part of its town centre redevelopment programme.
Stagecoach, which is the leaseholder on the Daw Bank plot, is “demanding a financial payment… in excess of the sum to which the council’s advisers consider it is entitled” the cabinet report states.
A Stagecoach spokesperson said: “We remain engaged in ongoing, positive discussions with Stockport Council regarding the voluntary surrender of an element of our lease in advance of its expiry in 2046.
“Both parties continue to work collaboratively to support local regeneration goals while ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of local bus services.”
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Stockport Council’s cabinet member for economy, regeneration and skills, said: “Our focus remains on reaching a negotiated outcome with the leaseholder, while protecting the delivery of a project that will bring new homes, jobs, investment and long-term benefits for Stockport and its people.
“However, a scheme of this scale and importance cannot be left open to unnecessary delay. Seeking approval to prepare for the possible use of compulsory purchase powers ensures the Council has the appropriate tools available, if they are ultimately needed, to keep this major regeneration project moving to schedule.”
The site makes up the majority of the land needed for phase one of Stockport 8. The project features 435 homes, including 82 affordable ones, under plans from ECF that have already been approved. The scheme has also secured an allocation of £41m from Greater Manchester’s Good Growth Fund.
However, at present the project cannot progress due to a difference of opinion between the council and Stagecoach over the site’s valuation.
Stockport 8 will provide around 1,300 homes overall. Credit: ECF
The consequences of not agreeing a deal could be significant, the report states.
“Not only does the ongoing uncertainty risk significant delays to the delivery of a key regeneration scheme, but it could also risk the loss of the significant public funding that has been secured for the development”.
The plan, which had been agreed by the parties, had been to relocate Stagecoach to two temporary depots off Heaton Lane and Kingston Street while a permanent replacement in Cheadle Heath is developed.
The relocation is required so that the Daw Bank site can be demolished in early 2027 to pave the way for phase one of Stockport 8.
Meikle said: “Stockport 8 is one of the most significant regeneration projects in our UK-leading town centre regeneration, delivering more than 1,300 new homes, including affordable housing, alongside new commercial and community space, high-quality public realm and walking and cycling links. The new neighbourhood will stand beside the impressive Weir Mill scheme, which brought a landmark heritage site back into use for residents and visitors to enjoy.”
Stockport believes it has a “compelling case in the public interest for commencing the compulsory purchase process”, according to the report.
Stockport Council was contacted for comment.
A Bus Depot in a Town Center? Daft!
By Anonymous
There is no supporting infrastructure, such as Doctors, Dentists, Schools etc to support these housing developments, and the leaseholders will be paying a fortune in Service Charges. Better to buy a freehold house in Stockport
By Anonymous
Build more houses in Cheadle. Leave the Bus Depot where it has always been. It’s near the railway station & the Town Centre. Housing is hiding Stocports Landmarks. The Viaduct being 1.
By Evie
Stagecoach likely think that a CPO would be to their benefit, since the compensation payable would be the fair open market value of the CPO’ed title…
By R. Mark Clayton
Fantastic opportunity
By Anonymous
Please remember we need shops there is a need for a big supermarket in Mersey Square not everyone is able carry shopping from Asda to bus station. Tesco is too small
By Valerie Concar
The sooner it’s demolished the better it’s one big eye sore
By Anonymous
The depot on dawn bank is ideal for staff and the bus station,now if you have to move further away buses will have further to travel. So why doesn’t the council build at the proposed other bus depot sites.
By Stuart
Buses are horrible things
By Anonymous
Why
,,
Why not permanently remove Thatchers legacy?
By Brian
There is no way a bus depot in Cheadle should be permitted to offset the loss of the town centre based depot. This would lead to streams of buses along an already busy route, be harmful to nearby residential amenity and undermine highway safety, particularly given the proximity of the roundabout access to the motorway, the planned Lidl store and the route used by children of nearby primary schools. A bus dept should be based in the town centre!
By Anonymous
Get the depot gone! Prime real estate these days
By Get gone
Not great PR for Stagecoach is it, they should have spun it to show they are helping in the regeneration instead holding Stockport back
By GetItBuilt!
A very unsurprising outcome.
By Tannoy
Presumably for good commercial reasons Sainsbury has recently closed its store in Stockport Town centre. This suggests that the town centre can’t sustain more than an ASDA and an Aldi. Not sure what the council can do about it.
By Anonymous
“Anonymous” 27/8 9:03am. I hope that one day circumstances force you to use the “horrible things” known as buses. What a stupid and self-centred attitude.
By Michael Turner
Scrap the idea and use the money to fix the roads instead
By Anonymous
Seem to recall Stagecoach holding up the Bee Network through dire threats of costly legal action and that never came to anything.
Probably not unreasonable to make sure they get the value of what’s quite recently become a prime development site and not a scruffy old bus depot (built and once owned by the old Stockport Corporation) though.
By Jeremy Cheadle
The Dawn bank depot is ideally located for both staff and public transport users. While the council proposes other sites for housing—aiming to build 1,300 units in the future—it’s important to consider that this project could proceed by relocating the housing development elsewhere. If we keep the existing depot in place, it would preserve essential access for bus drivers and passengers, ensuring that public transport remains a priority and reducing inconvenience for residents.
By Emily
This won’t affect passengers so no need to worry about that. Great to see the ‘roads good, homes bad’ contingent out in force though. Never ask yourself if your priorities are wrong…
By Northern Monkey
I don’t understand people saying daw bank bus station it only where they park the buses and repair on king street the new bus station adjacent to Wellington to road is where you get the bus from this is a new bus station and staying surely regeneration is a positive progression in the future of Stockport being a town to compete on a international stage
By Paul
Under20% affordable housing is derisory. How is this scheme a top priority when the profit motive seems to be the main driver?
By Anonymous
Buses is good things 👍🏻
By G J Kitchener