Stockport council leader Mark Hunter has called for more progress to be made with the borough's Metrolink plans.

During a visit from local transport minister Simon Lightwood to Stockport Interchange last week, Cllr Hunter said a tram extension is an "essential" part of the town's future and wider transport plans.

Mr Lightwood's visit saw the government announce £20m of funding for walking and cycling projects across Greater Manchester, as part of a £291m national package from Active Travel England.

Stockport has been calling for its own Metrolink stop for years and was promised a major update by September this year.

In December, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said work had started to create an initial outline business case for the extension, and that it had already awarded contracts for the design, modelling and appraisal of the work.

This is expected to be followed by a second outline business case and the third full business case stage.

Transport bosses believe the project could cost "hundreds of millions" and would need an application for powers to buy land, construct and operate the extended network.

Transport minister Simon Lightwood spoke at Stockport Intechange along with Stockport Council leader Mark Hunter (Image - Stockport Council)

Cllr Hunter said: "I wouldn't miss the opportunity to remind him [local transport minister Simon Lightwood] of the need to get the Metrolink extension here, but it's great that the minister has come to see for himself the great work in Stockport town centre."

He added: "I reminded Andy Burnham at the GMCA (Greater Manchester Combined Authority) meeting last week about the need for the Metrolink extension and he said the two of us needed to work together on that.

"At the end of the day there's only one person with the decision and that's him, but we never miss an opportunity to remind him of that pressing need.

"Our case remains the same, we've waited patiently for many years, our residents here in Stockport have helped fund the extension of Metrolink across Greater Manchester, and quite simply it's our turn now."

Mr Lightwood said any decisions on funding future transport projects "would be a matter for the spending review" but added that Parliament will work with local authority leaders to look at what is possible "within the realism of value for taxpayers."

Stockport Interchange has the capacity for a Merolink expansion (Image - Nub News)

Stockport Interchange opened last year and was designed to include a Metrolink extension, which would offer passengers access to several forms of transport including bus, tram and train, alongside cycling and walking routes.

A potential extension could see Stockport linked to the East Didsbury line which goes into Manchester city centre.

Councillors in the borough hope that the initial work to expand the tram to Stockport town centre could see it expanded to other areas such as Hazel Grove and Marple in future.

While the initial outline business case for a Metrolink extension to Stockport is under way, the town is undergoing major regeneration work with plans to build 8,000 homes by 2040 and continue work creating a new office district based around the town's railway station.

TfGM's head of rapid transit development, Luke Bramwell, said: "We are working closely with Stockport Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to ensure that we capture all the possible benefits of a Metrolink extension to Stockport as part of ongoing work to develop the strategic outline business case. This work is expected to be completed by September."

~

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, 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 Twitter