UKREiiF | New Stockport MDC chief determined to extend town’s moment in the sun

Nine years after leaving Homes England, Catherine Chilvers has returned to the public sector to lead what is held up as one of the most successful regeneration initiatives of recent times.

After just shy of a decade at Network Space, Chilvers was chosen earlier this year to front Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation as it looks to more than double its town centre scope and build on six years of work that has catapulted Stockport into the spotlight as an exemplar of regional regeneration.

Last week, a consultation on plans to redevelop more than 200 acres east of the town centre was launched, while projects in the west – the original MDC area – continue to progress.

In all, 8,000 homes are planned across the MDC’s jurisdiction, while a new hospital, secondary school, and Metrolink extension also form part of the vision.

Ensuring Stockport always has a variety of projects and propositions at various stages of the development cycle, while burnishing the MDC’s “reputation of doing things quickly and doing things well”, is crucial to ensuring Stockport’s regeneration does not falter, Chilvers said.

“The biggest challenge is how you keep how you keep the momentum going, how you keep the spotlight on Stockport.”

Chilvers will be judged on her ability to ensure that progress on the ground matches the scale of the council’s ambition.

You might consider that an easy gig, given that a lot of the work to build the momentum has already been done. Or a tricky, pressurised one, considering Stockport’s stock has arguably never been higher.

Chilvers leans towards the latter.

“I think it’s going to be a hard job,” she said. “We’re talking about new SRFs, urban high schools, tram extensions. These things are not easy.”

“It is about keeping the spotlight and making sure that we lean into that credibility that we have as a delivery agent, as a delivery vehicle, and just use that to our advantage, to keep that momentum going.”

Chilvers finds herself back in a public sector position having left for Network Space in 2016 – a strategic decision driven by a desire for professional development.

She wanted to add another string to her bow – the ability to get things done. That felt like stepping into the unknown but it is a decision that could pay dividends in her new role, she said.

Having delivered complex projects requiring collaboration between multiple partners and innovative funding solutions like Glass Futures in St Helens, Chilvers believes she has the right set of skills to maintain Stockport MDC’s remarkable momentum.

The masterplan for the east of the town centre features opportunities for high density residential throughout. Credit: via Stockport Council

“It felt like a big risk as a woman going into the private sector property and commercial development world,” she said.

“[It has given me] the technical competency on the front line, delivering schemes. Delivery is key now for local authorities and the public sector.

“I’d like to think that my background allows me to bring the best components of the public sector and private sector outlook together.”

She believes that the government’s focus on growth and devolution “makes it an exciting time to be in the public sector”. Greater Manchester’s devolution journey is more advanced than any other city region in England and Stockport MDC is one of its biggest successes to date.

It is unsurprising then that other councils want a piece of the action. MDCs are in the works for Middleton in Rochdale, Bolton town centre, Atom Valley in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale, and the Western Gateway, which straddles Trafford and Salford.

If these MDC’s become reality, it will mean that other GM boroughs with their own ambitious projects will be better equipped to deliver them. The result might be that some of the attention, funding, and support afforded to Stockport in the six years since the MDC was established is diluted.

However, Chilvers said growth in other parts of the city region can only be a good thing for Stockport but warned that an MDC alone does not equal success.

“Having a vehicle is not necessarily the whole solution,” she said.

“It’s having that development pipeline of projects so that the combined authority, or Homes England, or the private sector have got propositions to invest in.”

The 280-acre masterplan for the east of the town centre will ensure Stockport’s pipeline remains well-stocked and that the town centre will continue to transform over the next 15 years.

The prospect of playing a supporting role in Stockport’s regeneration long into the future was a one that attracted 43-year-old Chilvers to the role.

“This is not a retirement job for me,” she said. “I’m not looking to fill the last three years [of my career]. This is something that I can commit to.”