What Stretford tells us about the future of town centre regeneration

Stretford’s regeneration underscores a pivotal shift in how urban town centres are designed and delivered, guided by a people-first design approach that is actively reconnecting communities and reshaping how the town centre is experienced day to day, writes Cllr Liz Patel of Trafford Council.

Like many town centres developed around the mid-20th century, Stretford has long contended with vehicle dominance and a fragmented public realm across its town centre.

As retail patterns shifted, travel behaviours changed, and pressure grew to support the expanding city centre, it became increasingly clear that the future of regeneration had to adapt to what Stretford, and what town centres like it, needed: places designed around people.

As one of Trafford’s principal town centres, Stretford sits at the intersection of strong public transport connectivity, established residential neighbourhoods, and a growing role within the wider Greater Manchester economy.

Recognising the opportunity, Trafford Council, alongside Bruntwood, set out a long-term vision for Stretford in its 2021 masterplan, which established a framework for meaningful change anchored by five core principles: enhancing the public realm, supporting diverse retail and leisure, delivering new homes, improving connectivity, and embedding green space.

A prime example of these principles in action is the Kingsway redevelopment, which has transformed a formerly four-lane, car-dominated corridor into a people-first, green street. Once a physical barrier between neighbourhoods, Kingsway has been reimagined – prioritising walking, cycling, and safer movement. This shift has fundamentally changed how people move through and experience the town centre.

A major milestone in the project was reached in 2025 with the reopening of the historic King Street after 60 years. This created an open-air high street with a mix of national and independent retailers, a covered market hall, and numerous dining options. Delivering this required the partial removal of the existing mall and the refurbishment of several units, retaining the character of King Street while modernising it to support future growth. The result is a town centre street that feels active and rooted in place.

Alongside these public realm and infrastructure improvements, the masterplan sets out plans for up to 800 new homes and significant areas of green open space.

As activity and footfall returned to King Street, attention turned to ensuring people could live at the heart of the town centre. In December 2025, plans were unveiled and a tender launched for the first major residential phase, Plot 2A, delivering 249 build-to-rent apartments. Through the partnership between Trafford Council and Bruntwood, this phase aims to ensure that town centre living is inclusive, sustainable, and integral to the area’s long-term success.

Stretford’s canals and green spaces are also vital pieces of their regeneration plans. At Lacy Street, approved plans for 53 new homes, including 25% affordable provision, are coupled with landscaped routes that directly link Chester Road to the Bridgewater Canal, opening up the waterway as a natural extension of the neighbourhood. Nearby, Bannister Street is set to become a landscaped active travel route, prioritising walking and cycling while providing a green, logical connection between surrounding communities and the canal.

Embedding housing within the town centre goes beyond increasing population density, but more about embedding all aspects of life into the fabric of the area, including commuting, childcare, shopping, and exercise. It is an approach that prioritises footfall and local economic resilience, while recognising that town centres are living spaces where residents live within walking distance of services and amenities. These will all contribute to growing the economy and strengthening the local community.

Lessons from Stretford

Other town centres can draw several important lessons from Stretford’s experience.

First, regeneration works best when it is led by a clear, long-term vision rather than a series of isolated interventions. It provides communities, development partners, and investors certainty that the wider picture has been considered, and all pieces of the regeneration will work together seamlessly.

We also need to actively engage with local communities throughout the process and to shape the proposals in light of this engagement.

Equally important is the decision to prioritise movement and public space early in the process. By addressing vehicle dominance and improving walkability and cycling connectivity, Stretford created the conditions for retail, leisure, and residential development to succeed.

Stretford also demonstrates the value of rethinking what and who town centres are for.

Rather than focusing solely on retail, its regeneration recognises housing, green space, and social infrastructure as fundamental to the success of an area like a town centre. Bringing homes into the heart of the town centre supports consistent footfall and strengthens local services, so the reliance isn’t solely on retail’s shoulder.

Finally, the approach shows how existing assets can be reconnected and reimagined. Canals, streets, and historic routes that were once overlooked or severed by infrastructure have been repositioned as key elements of the town centre experience.

Streets, public spaces and buildings have been designed to be adaptable, ensuring they can evolve alongside the area’s changing needs, from flexible retail and leisure uses to spaces that support community activity.

This approach is helping to create a town centre that appeals to those choosing where to live, work and spend time, while remaining firmly rooted in the lives of existing residents.

• Cllr Liz Patel is the executive member for economy and regeneration at Trafford Council