Plans to transform Stockport Bus Station into an eye-catching and modern transport interchange, with roof top park and residential development, were last night approved by Stockport Council’s Planning and Highways Regulation Committee.
Along with funding also being secured for a new cycling and walking bridge which would link the interchange with Stockport rail station, the project will form a key part of a wider £1 billion regeneration of the town centre.
Located alongside the A6 and Mersey Square, the multi-million pound development will be funded by Transport for Greater Manchester, Stockport Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), with support from central government through the Greater Manchester Local Growth Deal programme.
The interchange will have a fully accessible, covered passenger concourse with seated waiting areas, Travelshop for tickets and travel advice, and both bus and train travel information screens.
Other features will include accessible toilets, complete with baby changing facilities and a ‘Changing Places’* toilet, and enhanced CCTV coverage.
The other main element of the development will be a residential building off Daw Bank with up to 200 apartments and associated car parking, offering further attractive high-quality living space in the town centre.
The transport hub will be connected to the A6 by a lift, which will also open out onto the new, two-acre public park on the roof of the interchange building, next to the residential block. Accessible directly from the A6, the park will bring much-needed green space to the town centre.
The cycle- and foot-bridge linking the development and railway station, via the park, was today confirmed as benefiting from the Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund – a wider £160m package that will see 42 new cycling and walking schemes delivered across Greater Manchester.
The interchange project will also see the upgrading of a nearby section of the Trans Pennine Trail alongside the River Mersey and associated secure cycle parking.
Building on Stockport’s already first-class connectivity, the interchange, residential development and park will bolster the success of developments like Stockport Exchange and Redrock that are already putting the town on the map as a great place to live, work in and visit.
The ongoing revitalisation of the town centre will also form a significant element of a proposal to create Greater Manchester’s first Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) – a statutory body overseen by the Mayor of Greater Manchester that focuses on the delivery of regeneration projects in areas like Stockport town centre.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I’m delighted that the Stockport Interchange, residential development and park plans have been given the go-ahead. Stockport is a key area for me and one that I’m keen to see benefit from even better transport infrastructure as outlined in Greater Manchester's 2040 Transport Strategy.
“Combining easy and accessible transport links with town centre living and green open space, the project encapsulates what could become an innovative template for modern transport hubs in our city-region.
“I’m confident that, once open, the interchange, park and apartments will form an important part of our proposed Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, successfully tackling town centre regeneration and the need for good-quality housing.”
Chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, Councillor Mark Aldred, said: “Stockport promises to be the jewel in the crown as far as Greater Manchester transport interchanges go. Not only will it look fantastic but the experience for passengers will be truly first-class.
“When people talk to me about the current bus station, one of the biggest barriers for easier travel they highlight is the lack of a direct link between the bus station and railway station. So it’s great to have secured funding for a proposed new cycling and walking bridge to the rail station directly from the rooftop park.
“I’m sure that the interchange will go on to become a real asset for the town centre and will provide even greater opportunities for the communities it will serve.”
Caroline Simpson, Stockport Council’s Corporate Director for Place, said: “The interchange is our biggest ever statement of ambition for Stockport town centre.
“It will take our exceptional transport connectivity to a new level, help redefine Stockport as a place to live by providing up to 200 high-quality homes, bring forward a fully accessible walking and cycling link from the rail station to Merseyway for the first time ever and create a new outdoor space for everyone to enjoy in the new two-acre public park.
“By offering so many different new opportunities the project symbolises our ambition for the whole town centre and we are delighted to see it progress to the next stage of delivery.
“The backing the Interchange has received – from the Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Transport for Greater Manchester and government – shows just how much belief there is in Stockport’s potential which puts us in a great position to deliver our ambition to be an outstanding place in which to live, work, play and connect.”
Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, Jake Berry, said: “We’re committed to boosting economic growth across the whole of the Northern Powerhouse and building a Britain fit for the future.
“Our investment of more than £41 million from the Local Growth Fund will be transformational for the Stockport Interchange scheme. Such projects represent the potential of what the Northern Powerhouse has to offer using the integration of a town centre, interchange and rail station as part of a major transport hub and focus for economic regeneration attracting new businesses, creating new jobs and future opportunities.”
Construction of the new interchange scheme could start by spring next year, with completion estimated for 2023.