Bramall Hall funding welcomed but row over ‘fair share’
By Ed Barnes - Local Democracy Reporter 1st Jun 2026
A row has broken out over whether some parts of Stockport are getting their 'fair share'. It comes after Bramall Hall was awarded another £1m.
Bramall Hall, a Grade I-listed heritage site, is one of Stockport's most treasured historical buildings. The manor house in Bramhall is largely Tudor in design with its oldest parts dating back to the 14th century.
The hall has been undergoing renovations to preserve the building going forward after £1.6m was awarded in 2024 to fix long-term issues in the roof. Now Stockport Council has announced an extra £1m has been awarded by the UK Government from the Museum Estate and Development Fund bringing the total to £2.6m.
Cllr Dan Oliver, the Cabinet Member responsible for culture at Stockport Council, said: "This funding is a big boost in helping us protect and enhance it for future generations. The funding will support vital upgrades to this nationally significant building, helping to protect its historic fabric while improving access for visitors, families and school groups.
"We're proud to see Bramall Hall recognised as a place of national cultural importance and to continue welcoming people from Stockport and beyond to explore its history."
However the level of funding going to places like Bramhall have come under fire from the borough's Labour Party. Councillor Rachel Wise, who leads the Labour group, said they were 'always happy to see investment coming into our borough' but criticised the ruling Liberal Democrats for only telling 'part of the story'.
This is after Stockport council leader Cllr Mark Roberts slammed the UK government for rejecting a £500,000 bid for library funding. At the time, Cllr Wise pointed to the increased funding Bramall Hall is getting to suggest 'maybe the issue isn't the government'.
She told the LDRS the libraries money 'wouldn't have touched the sides on issues like fixing the roof in Reddish or the underfloor heating in Hazel Grove', adding: "The council's 'Neighbourhoods' structure is fundamentally imbalanced in terms of officer time and resource, with the eight wards in the North and middle of the borough, and containing half the population, afforded just two of the seven spots.
"If the Liberal Democrat administration is serious about addressing the country's largest deprivation gap, it must ensure that Bridgehall gets its fair share alongside Bramhall."
However Cllr Oliver has hit back claiming 'her Labour government ensured the terms of the grant meant that it could not be used for the renovations Cllr Wise mentions' over the libraries funding.
He added: "We have worked extensively to maximise the minimal resources we have to support the most deprived residents in Stockport. The fact is we are facing an uphill battle against a national Labour Government that rejected Lancashire Hill for Trailblazer Neighbourhood status, and the much-needed financial support that comes with it, as well as omitting Stockport from its £600 million Recovery Grant.
"There is a reason that councils up and down the country are seeing their library assets struggle to match the needs of residents – the chronic underfunding of local government. Labour are now complicit in a system that doesn't work for councils or residents."
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