Some 277 homes could be built just outside Stockport town centre if plans are given the go-ahead.

Cheshire Homes Group has submitted plans to Stockport council for a major regeneration scheme on the site of St Christopher's House in Stockport. The plans are for 277 flats to be built at the junction of Wellington Road South and Longshut Lane.

St Christopher's House, a towering white office block, most recently housed insurance firm Vitality. The company has since moved to the Stockport Exchange area, a business-focused regeneration district near the town's railway station.

However the plans put forward would see the 1970s 10-storey building demolished and replaced with 'a high-quality residential development inspired by traditional mansion block architecture'. The flats would be a mix of one, two, and three bed apartments which would be available to rent.

Cheshire Homes Group, a Manchester-based developer founded in 1995, said they plan to keep the new building as a long-term investment. A press release issued by the firm said: "The scheme's design responds to its prominent location, incorporating a landmark corner building at the junction of Wellington Road South and Longshut Lane, with the building heights stepping down towards neighbouring terraced properties.

"The proposals also include improvements to the surrounding public realm, with wider pavements and new tree planting along Wellington Road South and Longshut Lane.

"At the heart of the development will be landscaped communal courtyard gardens, with ground-floor apartments benefiting from private patios."

Azeem Ali, director of Cheshire Homes Group, said: "We are pleased to have formally submitted our planning application for this important site in Stockport.

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"We have worked closely with our design and planning team to bring forward a

scheme that we believe will make a positive contribution to the area, both through the quality of its architecture and the new homes it will provide.

"Stockport is undergoing significant regeneration, and we see this development as an opportunity to invest in the town's long-term future.

"Our intention is to retain and manage the completed apartments, providing high- quality rental accommodation as part of our growing residential portfolio."

The move from Vitality out of St Christopher's House earlier this year was hailed as a vote of confidence in the wider regeneration of Stockport town centre. It is hoped over £2bn could be invested in the town in the coming years.

Vitality's move is the largest office letting ever secured at Stockport Exchange increasing the number of people working in the area to over 2,000. Luke McClaran, Chief people officer at Vitality, said: "We're proud to be deepening our roots in Stockport and look forward to continuing to play an active role in supporting the town's growth and success in the years ahead."