Consultancy appointed to ambitious Stockport improvement programmes
Engineering and professional services consultancy WSP has been appointed as the multidisciplinary engineering consultancy for the Stockport Town Centre and Town Centre West Infrastructure Programme.
WSP will provide a full range of services to help the council develop a blueprint for future infrastructure provision across Stockport town centre and the planned Town Centre West masterplan, which is being delivered by the region’s first Mayoral Development Corporation.
The infrastructure programme will help drive and facilitate plans to re-purpose 130 acres of Stockport town centre from low-density industrial land to create a whole new urban neighbourhood featuring up to 3,500 new low carbon homes and one million sq ft of employment space, along with social infrastructure, greenspace and public realm.
In addition, there are a further 1,500 homes planned across the wider town centre, which will result in up to 10,000 potential new residents.
Kevin Riley, director of transport at WSP, said: “We welcome the opportunity to continue to support Stockport Council having already played a major role in leading initial transport and infrastructure work on the Stockport Town Centre West MDC Masterplan, Stockport Interchange and many other projects in and around the town centre.
“Critical to this support is the transformation from today’s infrastructure environment towards a ‘smart’ town centre which prioritises digital connectivity, sustainability and low carbon development, while at the same time remaining flexible and responsive as development opportunities emerge.
“WSP’s ‘Future Ready’ approach will play a key role in this, enabling us to work with the council towards a future-proof design which is embedded from the outset.”
Stockport town centre and Town Centre West has been identified as a key case study for the Greater Manchester Infrastructure Programme (GMIP), a multi-year, multi-decade investment programme, co-funded by government and Greater Manchester, to deliver the transport and economic infrastructure the region needs to realise its potential and rebalance the national economy, deliver inclusive growth and achieving carbon neutrality.
WSP’s work will provide further evidence to support the proposal being made to government, as well as feeding into the development of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and the Stockport Local Plan.
Cllr Elise Wilson, leader of Stockport Council, said: “Stockport is in the midst of a £1bn regeneration boom and, along with the recent announcement that we will be fast-tracking the arrival of Metrolink to the town, means we will need to have best in class infrastructure provision to ensure Stockport is a thriving place to live, work and visit.
“We have a strong working relationship with WSP which has brought incredible local knowledge and world-class expertise to a number of major projects in Stockport. We look forward to continuing this partnership on the next phase of the town’s renaissance.”
The Manchester office of landscape architecture and urban design practice OPEN (Optimised Environments Manchester) will support WSP, providing advice on public spaces and realm which support and complements infrastructure requirements.
WSP has led on a number of high-profile urban regeneration programmes in the North West, including supporting Liverpool City Council for more than 15 years to deliver sustainable infrastructure and a future ready energy strategy, and delivering a complex urban regeneration masterplan for Warrington town centre.
