Stockport 8 moves forward

Phase one of the Stockport 8 scheme secures planning permission for 435 net zero homes and 82 affordable homes as part of a £250m, 10-year regeneration.

Stockport 8 gains planning consent for £250m regeneration

Stockport Council and its development partner ECF have secured planning permission for the Stockport 8 masterplan, an eight-acre scheme that will create around 1,300 homes alongside new shops, leisure facilities and public squares on land flanking King Street West near the historic viaduct. Phase one includes 435 energy efficient homes designed to net zero standards, with 82 affordable units. The plan also features a new public square under the viaduct, cycle lanes, pedestrian links and ground-floor commercial space.

Construction of the first phase is scheduled to start in 2026 at the former bus station site on Chestergate, with completion expected in 2028. The overall project will roll out in phases over about a decade. The delivery team includes shedkm as architect, Planit as landscape designer, Vinci as contractor, Arcadis as cost consultant, Walker Sime as project manager, Renaissance as engineering, Tace as MEP and Arup as transport. Joe Stockton, development director at ECF, said the project marks an exciting step for Stockport and that changes will begin to appear quickly once phase one starts.

The Stockport 8 plan signals a shift toward a sustainability focused, mixed-use approach in regeneration. By tying housing, public space and transport improvements to a single timetable, the project aims to manage risk while keeping momentum. The emphasis on net zero homes and ground-floor retail could attract residents and small businesses, but the scale raises questions about affordability, disruption and how the town handles a decade-long timeline.

Delivery will depend on steady funding, market conditions and a capable team. If costs rise or schedules slip, political and community scrutiny will intensify. The plan tests whether large regeneration can balance ambition with practical management and lasting community benefits.

Highlights

Stockport's decade of change will test planning discipline and community engagement.