We attended Orbit Developments and TheBusinessDesk.com breakfast panel event this morning in Stockport talking about the next steps for the town centre and how we can continue the momentum that's been gained over the years.
Steve Oliver from Music Magpie, Caroline Patten (MCIPD) from Grassroots Recruitment, Neil Pottinger FCIM from Starkey Hearing Technologies, Rhys Owen from Orbit Developments and Paul Richards from Stockport Council gave their thoughts on the changing face of Stockport with Michael Ribbeck, Editor of The Business Desk as compere.
Despite large gains being made already over the past 2-5 years, it was a positive event and became clear there's lots more change to look forward to.
Enhanced Evening Economy
As a large employer in the town centre, Steve Oliver mentioned the lack of options in the evening for his younger team members to take advantage of.
Paul Richards confirmed The Produce Hall is due to open in March which will generate the much-needed evening economy, providing a food and drink venue complete with live entertainment.
Coupled with the number of independent retailers in the neighbouring area such as The Angel Inn and Project 53, this area of Stockport can only improve as the confidence levels of private investors and companies increase, bringing more variety to the town.
Competitive Office Accommodation
For the first time (maybe in Stockport’s history?), the town is directly competing with the city centre office market thanks to the range of high quality, grade A BREEAM workspace available.
However, the competitive rental figures being offered mean companies can get the high-quality workspace they would usually find in Manchester, at much more competitive rates meaning there are lots of savings to be made.
Caroline Patten also highlighted the exceptionally skilled workforce and talent pool that is available to companies based in Stockport and combined with the easy commutes via the range of transport options for staff, it’s easy to see why Stockport is drawing businesses out of the city centre.
Regeneration of Merseyway
Stockport Council should quite rightly be recognised as an innovative, forward-thinking and ultimately brave public body. They have put their money where their mouth is and to name but a few developments, invested in Redrock, Stockport Exchange and Merseyway in order to drive positive change. There aren’t many councils across the country that can claim to be this proactive.
The next project for the team at Stockport Council is to review how their latest purchase Merseyway is working and could work in the community. We are all aware of the high street struggles across the country, so a suggestion has been made to look at alternative uses of the space such as workspace, residential or even community space to make the land work better for the town.
Increased Residential Offer
Finally, it was noted how the residential scene would impact on and transform the town centre. Increased residential options will naturally drive a retail and amenity offer and transform street scenes.
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Under new Mayoral powers, a 138-acre resi led development is out for consultation which if approved will provide 3,000 new homes and create an Urban Village – one of only 3 schemes in the UK.
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196 new apartments are due to arrive as part of the transport interchange scheme which will provide a brand new bus station, town centre park and green space, and residential apartments – ideal for young professionals.
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The conversion of the The Sorting Office development is also making headway and will change the journey down the A6. The perception of Stockportwill be improved with a facelift of the building and green wall to insert a bit of greenery into the landscape.
Although we are a national business, the regeneration of our town is incredibly important to us and something we're incredibly passionate about communicating with others. It's a growing business destination with lots of exciting plans due to be implemented in the near future.
All we can say is, watch this space!
Michael Ribbeck, Editor at The Business Desk
