Restoration of Stockport’s Weir Mill enters next stage

Reconstruction work on the Stockport heritage site the Weir Mill has reached a new milestone, as work begins on a series of new homes.

The regeneration project will preserve the Grade-II listed landmark and transform the once derelict area into a new residential neighbourhood with two new apartment blocks.

Project leaders will deliver 250 apartments as part of the £60m scheme, set to be completed by 2024, alongside green space and new bars, restaurants and shops.

Local social impact property developers Capital&Centric are spearheading the scheme which forms part of Stockport’s Town Centre West masterplan.

This will involve a 130-acre regeneration district, driven by Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation, which will see 4,000 new homes built and new local amenities, like workspace and improved transport.

Cllr Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, said: ‘This is a momentous occasion for Stockport as work starts to transform this area of the town centre into a new £60m neighbourhood, providing hundreds of much needed new homes, as well as vibrant outdoor spaces and even more great leisure facilities for people to visit and enjoy. Confidence from the private sector has never been better, and the fact that we’re attracting renowned developers like Capital&Centric to take this project forward speaks volumes.

‘Weir Mill will complement our other ambitious projects in the town centre, such as the new Transport Interchange, Stockport Exchange and improvements to Merseyway. I’m looking forward to seeing plans progress and this historic building being brought back to life again.’

£1bn is being invested into regenerating Stockport’s town centre, with plans to upgrade a Grade-II listed former hospital, to open a new library in the town centre and to build a new transport hub.

Adam Higgins, co-founder of Capital&Centric, said: ‘There’s such as buzz around Stockport right now and so much happening that’ll change the feel of the town centre for the better. The cranes punctuating Stockport’s skyline are a really visible sign of progress and the scale of ambition to turn brownfield land into new neighbourhoods that pull a crowd. We’re powering ahead with both the painstaking work of restoring the mills as well as the neighbouring new builds.

‘More and more people are waking up to Stockport’s charm and are wanting to call it home. Weir Mill will cater to that rocketing demand for homes, while creating a community of people living right in the centre. That’s a real shift for Stockport, increasing footfall and bringing a new dynamic to town.’

The developers behind the Weir Mill project are soon set to star in a new Channel 4 series which sees new designers take on challenges to win their own historic apartment.

Photo by Peter McDermott https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/