Mayoral Development Corporation - Regenerating Stockport's Town Centre West

Closed 10 Mar 2019

Opened 14 Jan 2019

Contact

engagement@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

Feedback updated 11 Jan 2020

We asked

Stockport’s Town Centre West has the potential to be a new urban village of up to 3,000 new homes with complementary mixed use development and the social infrastructure required to support a significant increase in the residential population.  Our proposal to create a Mayoral Development Corporation to lead the regeneration of the area came about in response to the Mayor’s Town Centre Challenge and our urgent need to maximise the potential of brownfield sites to accommodate more housing in light of GM Spatial Framework.  The MDC proposal also responds to Stockport Council’s Town Centre Living agenda which looks to redefine Stockport’s residential offer for existing and future communities and make the town centre a residential destination of choice. 

The consultation on the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation and associated proposals closed March 10, 2019 after an eight week period of public consultation.

During the consultation we asked a number of stakeholders, including local residents their views on a number of areas. Including –

  • Whether or not the development of a Mayoral Development Corporation would be the best way to drive forward long-term regeneration for Stockport’s Town Centre West
  • Whether or not the creation of a Mayoral Development Corporation for the Town Centre West could lead to regeneration and improvements across the rest of Stockport Town Centre as a whole
  • Whether or not respondents felt that the proposed boundary of the Mayoral Development Corporation was appropriate
  • Whether people thought the name ‘Stockport Town Centre West Mayoral Development Corporation’ is an appropriate name for this MDC.
  • Whether people thought that the Mayoral Development Corporation should not have any planning functions in relation to granting discretionary rate relief.

We did a number of things during the consultation to help to promote it and make sure that the right people had the opportunity to contribute. This included –

  • Letters to 530 local residents and businesses in the area
  • Promotion of the consultation through Greater Manchester Combined Authorities communication networks; monthly newsletter to over 4,000 local residents, groups and organisations and social media posts.
  • Promotion of the consultation on Stockport Council’s website and social media
  • Specific invites to respond to key consultees including MPs across Greater Manchester, Homes England, Environment Agency, Historic England, Network Rail, and Highways England

You said

The consultation received 205 responses, 88.73% of which came from Stockport residents.  11 organisations responded to the consultation representing a variety of sectors and interests including the voluntary sector. 

The overall consultation response to the proposed MDC was very positive.  78% of people either agreed or strongly agreed that the MDC was the best way to drive forward long term regeneration and 81% agreed that the MDC would support and improve Stockport town centre as a whole.   

60% of respondents agreed that the proposed boundary for the Mayoral Development Corporation was appropriate and 47% agreed or strongly agreed with our proposal for planning powers and powers over discretionary business rate relief to remain with Stockport Council.  Only 21% of respondents wanted to see planning and business rates powers granted to the MDC and but 36 comments from respondents argued that our proposals should go further, particularly in terms of the area the proposed MDC should cover.

We did

The consultation responses were analysed and the overwhelmingly positive response informed the Mayor’s decision to proceed with the creation of a MDC in Stockport.  A report summarising the consultation exercise and result was submitted to Greater Manchester Combined Authority on March 29th recommending that GMCA consider the proposed MDC.  No objections were received from the members of GMCA (which includes the Leader of Stockport Council) and the Mayor then notified the Secretary of State of his intention to proceed and asked Government to prepare the legislation required to formally create the MDC as an independent statutory organisation that will lead regeneration efforts.

In parallel with the formal legal process to create the MDC, Stockport Council (as the Local Planning Authority for the Mayoral Development area) is working up a Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) which will set out in detail how we think the area could be transformed over the long term to become Greater Manchester’s newest, greenest, and coolest affordable urban neighbourhood.  The regeneration framework is currently being finalised and will be published for public consultation over the summer to ensure that all stakeholders in the area have the opportunity to see, comment on, and influence the vision and the type of development that comes forward in the area. 

Results updated 11 Jun 2019

A report summarising the consultation exercise and result was submitted to Greater Manchester Combined Authority on March 29th recommending that GMCA consider the proposed MDC.  No objections were received from the members of GMCA (which includes the Leader of Stockport Council) and the Mayor then notified the Secretary of State of his intention to proceed and asked Government to prepare the legislation required to formally create the MDC as an independent statutory organisation that will lead regeneration efforts.

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

Overview

Stockport’s Town Centre West is set to become Greater Manchester’s newest, greenest, and coolest affordable urban neighbourhood.

History and nature set a great context for streets and buildings to quickly establish a distinctive urban environment and a truly sustainable place to live. 

Town Centre West will be a walkable neighbourhood at the heart of things.  It will provide a choice of homes and workspace.  Residents and business will have enviable access to public transport and be amongst the best connected in the region. 

This will be a place of quality in all aspects of design, enhanced with the river, parks and access to open country.  A place where you can shape your future; a place to work and to live.  A safe, healthy and attractive part of town. 

We want this to be the benchmark in town centre living and a jewel in the crown for Greater Manchester.

To create a new green urban village, the Greater Manchester Mayor has decided to consult on the creation of a regeneration company called a Mayoral Development Corporation. 

"Reversing the decline of towns in Greater Manchester is a big prize and we recognise that it will not come with an old-fashioned piecemeal approach to town centre development. We need to help councils galvanise partners around a shared masterplan and use new powers to make it happen. The great attraction of Mayoral Development Corporations is that they simultaneously allow us to tackle two big problems - town centre decline and the housing crisis. It provides an integrated solution.”

- Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester.

What is a Mayoral Development Corporation?

A Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) is a statutory body created to bring forward the regeneration of a defined area.  They have powers to acquire, develop, hold, and dispose of land and property.  They also have powers to facilitate the provision of infrastructure. 

In Greater Manchester, we have developed a model that would allow us to harness the potential MDCs have to bring about large-scale regeneration while ensuring they fit with our unique local circumstances and don’t create major additional bureaucracy. 

If endorsed through this consultation, the Stockport MDC would see the creation of a Board to provide overall direction with a smaller staff structure made up mostly of existing staff seconded from Stockport Council (and potentially other partner organisations).

Why your views matter

We believe that a Mayoral Development Corporation has the ability to make the potential of Stockport's Town Centre West a reality. But we want to make sure that everyone with an interest in the area has had the chance to provide their views on the MDC idea.

This consultation is specifically about creating an MDC to be the main regeneration organisation for the area.  It will be followed in spring 2019 by a public consultation on the Strategic Regeneration Framework (SRF) that Stockport Council is preparing for the area. 

In this way we will recieve public comments and opinions on both the merit of creating a dedicated regeneration organisation and, at a later date, on the detailed masterplan proposals in the SRF.

Our preference was to recieve feedback via this online platform to repond, but a postal addfress was also given for people to respond.

What happens next

The responses to this consultation was set out in a report to Greater Manchester Combined Authority.  This consultation exercise informed the Mayor’s final decision on the merit of creating a Mayoral Development Corporation for Stockport’s Town Centre West area.

Audiences

  • General public
  • Young people
  • Businesses
  • Community, voluntary sector and social enterprises
  • Schools, colleges and universities
  • Academics
  • Public sector partners

Interests

  • Mayor of Greater Manchester