Stockport to sign off £5.5m Merseyway works
The council plans to carry out structural repairs to the shopping centre’s multistorey car park so that it is capable of supporting its growing pipeline of town centre developments.
Stockport Council said the £5.5m project is required to “prevent further structural deterioration, ensure the safety of users, protect the car parking revenue stream and halt water ingress to retail units below the car park structure”.
The investment comes despite a drop in the number of visitors to the car park since the pandemic.
The revenue from Merseyway car park in 2019/20 was just shy of £1m, while the current 2021/22 forecast is £0.607m, according to the council.
However, the authority believes that developments including Stockroom, Glenbrook’s STOK, and Capital&Centric’s Weir Mill could help the car park recover to pre-pandemic levels of use.
“The Merseyway car park is increasing in importance with regards to the provision of parking within the town centre as other surface car parks are removed to facilitate redevelopment,” the council said.
The council acquired the car park as part of its purchase of Merseyway Shopping Centre on 2016.
If approved by Stockport Council’s cabinet, the Merseyway improvement works will be funded through borrowing repaid through the parking revenue budget.
