Stockport Council is set to support plans to expand the massive regeneration work taking place in the town centre.

It could see a total of 8,000 new homes built over the next 15 years – double the previous target – with a 280-acre site in the eastern part of the town included in the plans.

The council's cabinet team will discuss the expansion proposal during its next meeting on March 18, and is set to push for the work to move forward to a public consultation.

This includes noting that a 'paper will be submitted to GMCA [Greater Manchester Combined Authority] to request that the mayor go out to consultation in April and May 2025 on the proposal to designate the east of the town centre as a Mayoral development area.'

Stockport town hall (Image - Nub News)

Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) was set up in 2019 to lead the £1bn transformation of the town, and since then has delivered major projects including the transport interchange, Viaduct Park, and 1,200 new homes completed or currently being built.

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham gave his backing for the expansion plans in October, saying the changes in Stockport were "a plan for how to regenerate a proud English town."

During a Stockport town hall meeting about the MDC expansion on March 6, councillors stressed the need for the expansion plans to bring benefits outside of the town centre boundary too.

Cllr David Meller, leader of Stockport Labour group, said he was supportive of the plans, but said they must make sure "we don't have cliff edges on the border" with areas such as Lancashire Hill and Brinnington, which he said should also "feel the benefit of the work."

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has given backing for the expansion plans (Image - LDRS)

Lib Dem Cllr Jake Austin said he understands concerns around setting a firm boundary, but added that the "highly targeted approach" to the town's regeneration has been a large part of its success.

Paul Richards, the council's deputy chief executive and outgoing CEO of Stockport MDC, said: "Whilst under the legislation it needs to be a firm red line, that doesn't stop us continuing to demonstrate the benefits of the work the MDC does to the areas that touch upon that red line and further across the borough."

Stockport MDC recently announced that it has appointed Catherine Chilvers as its new managing director.

Ms Chilvers said she was "thrilled to be joining the organisation at such an important moment for the town," adding "there's still so much more to come."

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