By Johnathan Cowden

Demolition work has commenced on a row of buildings in Stockport's Underbanks, to make way for 12 new residential apartments. 

The site in question is 29-35 Little Underbank - at the intersection where Mealhouse Brow joins the Underbanks, opposite Rare Mags. 

The original building dates from the 1970s, and until now has been the site of some boarded up shops.

The new building will comprise 12 dwellings - six of which will be affordable - over five storeys. 

The palette of materials aims to 'reflect the predominant building materials found in the area'; in this case, red brick, stone detailing and painted timber. 

Planning permission was granted in November 2022. The length of time required to start work on the site was identified as a 'key challenge' for the developer. 

A little history of the Underbanks 

The site in question was formerly the Albion Hotel, a pub which was built at some point before 1680 (as it appears on a map of the town from this year), closed in 1962, and demolished 10 years later.

The pub was originally called the Rising Sun, but was rebuilt and renamed between 1833 and 1838.

In 1784, the pub was the site of a famous protest by Stopfordian farmer Jonathan Thatcher.

That year, the Prime Minister at the time, William Pitt, introduced a tax on any horse that wasn't being used for agriculture or trade, so anyone who was riding a horse would have to pay 10 shillings.

In protest of this, Jonathan Thatcher rode his cow to Stockport market, past the Rising Sun pub.

This was the subject of a few political satire cartoons at the time, showing Thatcher riding past the pub, and drinkers coming out to watch.

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