Stockport, once dubbed a 's***hole' and suffering from the highest rate of empty shops in the UK just 13 years ago, has undergone a dramatic transformation, with new businesses opening regularly and people now comparing it to Manchester's Northern Quarter.
Emma Bedford, who recently opened her shop Mooch on the historic Underbanks with her husband Mark, said: "10 years ago people wouldn't have come to Stockport. You would have come if you were looking to go to Boots but it wasn't a destination place."
From decline to destination
The town's renaissance began with a multistorey car park in 2014, which freed up space for building, followed by a hotel, new office spaces, and public areas around Stockport Exchange. Paul Richards, deputy chief executive at Stockport council, said the early investment was "a bit of a leap of faith" but proved key to the town's success.
Liberal Democrat council leader Mark Roberts said: "People are coming from Manchester to Stockport for a night out now. It wasn't that long ago it was the other way around." The town now has a £2bn investment plan, with schemes for thousands of new homes, a new school, a health centre, a Metrolink extension, and a railway station upgrade.
The Mayoral Development Corporation
The Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), set up in 2019 as a partnership between then-Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and the council, was a UK first for town regeneration. Coun Roberts said the MDC "put rocket boosters under that regeneration" and allowed the council to access more funding.
Lord Gavin Barwell, a former Conservative MP who now oversees the MDC, said the widespread political support had been "hugely powerful" and that "investors are crying out for some certainty and stability and Stockport has an amazing story to tell."
Success and concerns
The Underbanks, done up with £7m, now prides itself on independent businesses. Mark Chalmers, manager of The White Lion pub which reopened in 2024 after 15 years shut, said: "To me Stockport reminds me of the Northern Quarter and how the Northern Quarter started out."
However, concerns remain. Homelessness is at record levels, with 1,000 more people asking for help than six years ago and four times as many rough sleepers compared to 2019. Around 9,500 households are on the waiting list for social homes. Rents were 88 per cent higher in 2024 compared to 2010.
Labour councillor Rachel Wise said the council needs to look at how the town centre can regenerate Lancashire Hill, the poorest neighbourhood in Greater Manchester. Green councillor James Frizzell said the administration needs "a laser focus on the homes that are affordable based on people's incomes at this moment."
Coun Roberts acknowledged that "we can't make changes over night" but said money is going into local high streets and the regeneration will spread further out. He added: "It's incumbent on us that they do feel like they are benefitting from the work that is going on."
