Residential buildings
As Brooklyn is to Manhattan, so Stockport
Is to manchester, well not quite, there's no bridge, but there is a viaduct and on both sides of it, two major projects are taking shape, part of a 1bn pound transformation.
We check on progress and look at some other examples of recent and new construction in the town. I include some childhood reminiscences and some stills from my all time favourite film 'A Taste of Honey'. We're on the A6 in south Stockport, next to Stockport War Memorial and Art Gallery, where as an 8 year old, I had a painting displayed and I won a camera
In the past 20 years, there's been lots of construction: - flats reclad, new council offices, town hall cleaned, new council buildings, new offices built behind the facade of the infirmary, named Millennium House. Behind, Stockport station, 8 minutes from Manchester, an hour from Livepool, two hours from London and what's this? It's a major new link in the cycling network, it will span the railway. It's a new bridge for pediestrians and bikes. To my left, my old primary school, Our Lady's.
The new structure replaces an old concrete footbridge. Connecting the new bridge to the A6 is Thomson Street and it's going to be a major highway for bikes, further expanding Stockport's bike network. We'll cycle down to the station the A6 - no cycle lane here unfortunately. In front of the station, the sign says: Stockport Exchange has arrived! See how the viaduct is depicted in the mural, it's a local icon. This is Stockport Exchange, seen from in front of the station: a hotel, offices, cafes, green areas. I remember what was here in the past: A railway goods yard for coal. The coal dust got everywhere, even under your collar. I remember walking past here on a school trip to Stockport power station.
Compared to then it's unrecognisable today. Construction is in progress on two sites here, bringing things only dreamt about in the past, such as communal roof terraces. The display boards are informative: Stockport's one billion pound transformation. Stockroom, Redrock, Merseyway, Market and Underbanks, St Thomas' Gardens, Weir Mill. And under construction is Three Stockport Exchange. For all enquiries stockportexchange.co.uk, developer Muse, Partner Stockport MBC. Delivered with the support of Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the European Union. European Regional Development Fund.
Back on the A6, Stockport Central Library and this interesting piece of 80s architecture with its clock tower showing two different times. But next door, a very interesting conversion, the former sorting office, now apartments to rent. It's called the Mailbox. Another interesting transformation on the A6, five minutes south of here, the former. Royal Oak Brewery, rebuilt as an apartment block in the late 2000s. Flashback to Friday 26 March 2021, the old bus station in its final months. Today, construction on the new interchange and large residential block has started. That crane, I estimate its height at one quarter of the altitude of passing planes, has a red light at night on the top that can be seen all over Stockport.
We ride down Exchange Street. A new pedestrian link and bridge will run between the station and the interchange. And up there, behind those trees, is where a scene from 'A Taste of Honey', was filmed in 1960.
There's Jo and Geoff and behind, a
Tantalising view of stockport in the early 60s, now blocked by trees, as here on lark hill road, edgeley.
If only it was possible to go back into Stockport's past. A Taste of Honey is a great film set in Stockport Manchester and Salford. Buy the DVD or rent it from the BFI. But now it's back to the future.
These are the information boards along the new bus interchange site. One Stockport, a new transport interchange, green spaces, brand new apartments, the bridge and footpath to the railway station - pity it can't cut across the car park, it has to go around it. The signs continue: better journeys for everyone, a town centre park, overlooked by the Hat. Museum. In 2022, new transport infrastucture is being built directly in front of the old. On the other side, more visualisations, they speak for themselves. There's the disputed tower right in front of the viaduct, preventing an uninterrupted view. I predict problems with this building in the future.
The developer Capital and Centric have done great things. But even the best architects make mistakes, as we'll see. Weir Mill was first started in 1790, 50 years before the viaduct was built. We'll cycle around the Weir Mill site. The new tower will appear on the left. Regent House, described as a striking 12 storey skycraper - it's only 36 metres tall - built in 1975 but at least nowadays, thank goodness, architects get it right Ahem, with the exception of Redrock, the building local people love to hate, winner of the Carbuncle Cup in 2018. According to the Dezeen article of 7 Sept 2018, the judge quote "felt sorry for the people of Stockport" unquote. The quote 'soulless leisure shed' unquote stands next to the M60, so it's seen by thousands of drivers every day.
But is it really that bad? BDP are a leading architectural practice, but even leading architectural practices make mistakes sometiems. It its defence, the people are using the complex and I can bear witness, the Light cinema inside is superb. A lot of thought and money went into it, but the design, well it has not struck the right note. But to those who criticise Redrock, I ask, what would you have put there? They created a new pedestrianised street and plenty of people are using it though it's still not quite La Rambla of the North. Looking up I can see the Emirates A380 from Dubai on final approach so let's call it a wrap for today. It's daytime and we're back again. There are plenty of people around Reflected in the windows, on the opposite side of the street are the backs of the buildings, so maybe all it needs are some new frontages onto this new street. Maybe it needs is a new name, rather than Bridgefield Street.
According to the map, the new adjoining square is named Suffragette Square, though I can find no street sign. This mural is nice, but how about more, like this one on Great Underbank. Since 1931 Stockport has had great cinema and venue, the Plaza, overlooking Mersey Square. It's amazing how the square straddles the River Mersey and the ancient boundary between. Lancashire and Cheshire. How could it be improved? Answers on a post card, or in the comments. We'll take a quick walk through the shopping centre. The shopping centre was built on top of the River Mersey, completed in 1965.
It's been modernised and today, new paving stones are being laid. And I do wish they would put the clock back or maybe a digital billboard display which includes the clock? Here's more news of Stockport's transformation, the learning centre called Stockroom, a controversial project, set to arrive in 2023 so keep watching AidanEyewitness to see if Stockroom turns out to be a mistake or a success.
Now here's an interesting example of, is it, retro-engineering? Part of the area covering over the river was cut away to reveal the historic Lancashire. Bridge and the Mersey flowing underneath. Not far from here is the churchyard where a heart-wrenching scene from A Taste of Honey was filmed. The power station I visited on that school trip, has gone. And in its place, a retail park, the Peel Centre. On the opposite side of the road, older buildings have been demolished, I wonder what will appear here.
We ride along Great Portwood Street, the A560, a key gateway into the town centre, and we'll see one of the most visually striking, photographically interesting, derelict shopfronts around. Currently under demolition says the sign. It's been like that for ages. This dereliction doesn't make a good impression and needs to be sorted out! Next to Tesco Extra, overlooking the car park, a truly landmark building, the magnificent. Meadow Mill, built around 1880, designated Grade II listed around 1975. Conversion into an apartment building with mixed use at ground level, is well advanced in 2022. Shame this tree is standing right in front of the building, preventing an uninterrupted view of the facade. I think there is something solid and almost modern about Meadow Mill, even though it's late Victorian.
Though all around has changed, it still stands proudly and will now gain a new lease of life. So let's return to the site of the new transport interchange and residential buildings? Will they be still standing proud in years to come? I hope you found this article interesting, maybe even inspiring.