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CRANES and builders are sign of times in Stockport
CRANES and builders are sign of times in Stockport
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Multi-million-pound revamp bucks economic trend

Cheryl Latham
6/ 8/2008

A HUGE crane now dominates Stockport’s skyline marking the progress of multi-million pound plans to redevelop the town centre.

Development of a £13million office block on the A6 has begun, showing the Council’s ambitious ‘Masterplan’ to regenerate Stockport town centre is well underway despite the pressures of the credit crunch.

Named St Peter’s Square, the 50,000 sq ft building, will be a new cultural quarter and is a key milestone in the development plan known as ‘Future Stockport’.

And the Council is set to change the face of the town even further after it approved plans for a new urban village, shops, restaurants and apartments.

The dynamic changes to the Lambourghini showroom on Edward Street, the dilapidated mills at Hopes Carr and the old Peaches nightclub on the corner of Wellington Street and Lower Hillgate, could dramatically improve the town centre after approval was given for over 500 apartments.

And the Council hopes the new influx of residential and commercial property will act as a catalyst to encourage further private development in Stockport by 2020, celebrating the town’s historic environment and expanding its potential as a centre for residential, business, retail and leisure use.

Council leader Dave Goddard said: "These major developments are great news for Stockport town centre. Despite all the talk of the credit crunch, we’ve got developers who can see the great potential of Stockport and we’re helping them move forward.

"The 30ft crane at St Peter’s Square is a highly visible symbol of our ambitious vision for the town centre. Our masterplan, ‘Future Stockport,’ was designed to unlock the town’s full potential and this landmark building will not only create an exciting new gateway into the centre but will also attract major employers to invest in the town creating new jobs."

Developers of the St Peter’s Square project, HBG, expect work to be completed by June 2009.

Clive Perrin, of HBG, said: "After all the ground works, the crane is a significant milestone because the building will really begin to take shape now.

"We are delighted to be part of the Future Stockport initiative and look forward to building on the development partnership with Stockport Council."


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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   Perhaps we should have renovated and converted what we had, like many of our friends on the Continent have (and in other towns, here). We possibly wouldn't be surrounded by the concrete, steel and glass expressions of architectural arrogance we have now. How long does it take modern materials, subject to our weather and environmental conditions, to look cheap and shabby? One sometimes wonders if the great and good visionaries who claim to run our towns are ashamed of our industrial and commercial past. Remove all evidence of it on good Stalinist principles?
Roy Gregory, Exile
7/08/2008 at 15:46
   Stockport town centre will always be a disgrace, no matter how much money they throw at it. Thankfully we have lovely places such as Marple and Bramhall to make up for it.
Phillipa Walker, Stockport
6/08/2008 at 12:55
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