Most days of the week Stockport is bustling with shoppers.

The revival of the town centre over the last ten years in a £1bn regeneration scheme has brought new homes, businesses, and transport options to the borough.

There's a feeling that Stockport is on the up, and people are flocking to its shops, bars, and restaurants daily, including from other parts of Greater Manchester.

Future plans in the town include the much-anticipated arrival of Metrolink services, alongside three new neighbourhoods where around 4,000 new homes will be built.

Many people who travel into Stockport have a range of public transport options they can use, with a new transport interchange for buses, and a central train station just off the A6.

But some still rely on their cars to visit Stockport, especially if carrying heavy shopping bags or items.

Concern is growing around the town about proposed increases to parking costs in the town centre, which some fear could put people off coming to Stockport altogether.

It currently costs £1.10 Monday to Friday to use council parking bays, with cheaper rates on Sundays.

For comparison, some council car parks in Altrincham and Timperley in neighbouring Trafford charge £2 an hour, while in Tameside there is free parking for up to two hours available at all car parks during the hours of 8.00am and 6pm from Monday to Saturday.

Stockport council is planning to increase its parking charges to save £500,000. It is facing an overall budget gap of around £20m this year.

If the parking increase is approved, fees in council parking bays would go up from £1.10 for an hour to £1.50, or £2.20 to £3 for two hours, with price rises planned for every hour up to 12 hours across Monday to Sunday.

Business owners in Stockport have warned the change could mean fewer people visiting their shops, and undermine all the growth the town has seen in recent years.

"I think it's terrible," said Steve Barry, the owner of Love Bling Accessories in Merseyway shopping centre.

The 61-year-old has customers who drive to Stockport, but he said he's not been consulted on the proposed parking increases by the council.

He added: "It will make people not want to come shopping in Stockport, and the council doing this is very detrimental to the town centre surviving.

"I rely on people coming into Stockport, it's not fair what the council are doing, it's ridiculous."

Robert Downes, from the Federation of Small Businesses in Greater Manchester, also voiced concerns about the council's proposals.

"It's an absolutely dreadful idea given the current trading environment, and particularly egregious considering the struggles facing so many of our high street businesses, many of whom are already struggling to stay afloat," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"Retailers have already been badly affected by a sharp contraction in consumer spending, adding to their woes of soaring energy costs, huge increases to the minimum wage, significant increases to business rates, and of course the National Insurance hike.

"You really couldn't make this up.

"It appears the elected representatives on Stockport council are oblivious to what's going on out there – or they just don't care? It's a real shame because there's been a lot of good work done in Stockport recently to rejuvenate the town centre, and this could unpick it."

Shoppers in Stockport town centre said they were worried about the potential rise in parking charges too.

While many do make use of the public transport options, cars can still be seen motoring around the town at all hours of the day.

Outside Stockport market hall, Val Boonham, 67, said 'it's ridiculous', explaining it was 'not going to encourage people to come down here.'

Another resident, 82-year-old Jack Hembrough, added: "I think it's terrible, we pay enough as it is.

"It could put people off from coming to Stockport, I really do think so, especially if they keep charging people more and more to park."

Stopfordian Anthony Mycoch, 58, went further, labelling the increase a 'disgrace', explaining further the frustration as the town centre has 'only just had the area rejuvenated'.

Others such as Pete Lamb, 69, showed a bit more sympathy with the council's position.

He said: "If it's going back to the council then I would support it, I don't think it will put people off coming to do their shopping here.

"Anything that goes back to the council is good, we know where the money is going and it's being spent in Stockport."

Cllr Grace Baynham is Stockport council's cabinet member for parks, highways and transport services.

She highlighted the success of Stockport town centre, and said proposals to increase parking prices will help cover the council's costs of maintaining the facilities, among other benefits.

"We're committed to keeping Stockport's town centre vibrant, accessible and well maintained," she said.

"Footfall in the town centre reached more than 12 million visits last year as a result of the investment in our town centre, and we need to make sure that our car parking arrangements reflect the number of people that we have visiting.

"We had almost 1,400,000 transactions in our town centre car parks and this shows that a growing number of journeys into town are made by other means, whether that be by foot, bus, train or cycle.

"The proposed parking changes will help us cover the rising costs of running the service, maintaining car parks and looking after our highways.

"We understand any change can raise questions, and we'll continue to make sure residents and visitors have clear, fair and consistent parking options when they visit our town centre."

Behind the plans to raise parking prices in Stockport town centre, a row with the government over funding is brewing.

Stockport Council is led by the Lib Dems under council leader Mark Roberts.

Stockport's Labour MP Navendu Mishra wrote to the council sharing his fears about plans to increase parking prices, and the impact this could have on footfall in the town.

The MP wrote that he 'recognises the significant challenges facing local authorities', but said he 'does not agree that increasing parking charges for ordinary residents, shoppers, and local workers is the appropriate way to address these financial constraints.'

He added in his letter: 'The proposed increase of approximately 36 per cent in parking charges risks placing additional pressure on these businesses. I am concerned that this may have a detrimental impact on footfall in the town centre and, in turn, on the local economy.'

For their part, the Lib Dems in charge at Stockport town hall feel the borough has been badly let down by the Labour government in terms of the finance settlement dished out to help keep councils running.

Stockport is having to make around £75m of cuts over the next five years, with an expectation from Westminster that much of the council's future income will be provided through council tax rises – placing the burden on local residents.

Stockport also missed out on the recovery grant last year when other councils across the country got a share of £600m.

The borough seems to have been overlooked again this year, barring a last-minute change after an eleventh-hour appeal from council leader Mark Roberts to the government for fairer funding.

Responding to Navendu Mishra MP's letter, council leader Mark Roberts wrote: 'It is only because of the continuation of inadequate funding Stockport has received for many years now that we have to look to fees and charges to try to balance our books, as we are legally required to.

'We face a funding shortfall of £42m over the next three years even if we implement your government's assumed 5pc council tax increase in each of the coming three years.

'The town centre car parking proposal reflects the significant financial pressures facing the council, including increased operating costs and the need to maintain and improve services such as car park maintenance, safety, and infrastructure.'

The council leader added that without making the savings, alternative options could include steps such as 'cutting elderly care provision, risking significant impact on our most vulnerable residents.'

Councillors in Stockport are set to vote on the budget plans, including proposals to increase parking charges in the town centre, on February 26.

~

Free from clickbait, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

To get our top stories in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.

Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or X