High-quality jobs promised in Stockport as enormous industrial estate revamp gets the go-ahead from planners

‘High quality’ new jobs have been promised for Stockport after plans for an ‘enormous’ revamp of a derelict industrial estate were given the go-ahead.

Ambitious proposals to build a new 19,000 sq m employment site on the old Vauxhall Industrial Estate, in South Reddish, have been signed off by planning chiefs.

The scheme was recommended for approval after the developer revised proposals in response to concerns over traffic issues and the potential for air and noise pollution.

And the council’s planning committee was happy to grant permission for the large-scale redevelopment, when it met to decide.

What did the planning committee say about the scheme?

Coun Roy Driver, who also represents Reddish North, told the meeting it was a ‘very welcome plan’.

He described the proposed site as a ‘very modern business development’ that would ‘improve the area’.

“But most importantly, it’s going to bring jobs to the area – high quality jobs,” he said.

“There has been some concern expressed by local councillors that there have been too many housing developments in the area and not enough creating jobs – so this is bringing jobs into the area.

“As a Reddish resident – I live in the area – I particularly welcome that. It is on an established industrial estate as well, so there’s no problem with it at all and I certainly welcome it.”

What is the plan for the site?

The Greg Street scheme – described as ‘enormous’ by Coun Tom McGee at a recent area committee meeting – includes 28 two-storey units across six blocks for industrial, warehousing and ‘flexible’ uses, which vary in size, from 364 sq m to 1,265 sq m.

These blocks will face inwards towards a central courtyard for parking and ‘general activity associated with the businesses’. In total the plans include a total of 174 parking spaces, including 34 electric vehicle charging bays, and 24 disabled spaces.

Coun John Taylor also believed the plans would bring a welcome boost to job opportunities.

“In this area there used to be a lot more industrial premises than there currently are, and the need for employment provision has therefore gone up,” he told the planning committee.

He said planners needed to ‘maintain a reasonable balance’ between housing and industrial developments.

‘Melding together the residential component with easy access to jobs on the doorstep – that was a big selling point for us,” he added.

What criticisms did councillors raise?

However, despite backing the proposals, Coun Graham Greenhalgh did raise one caveat.

“I’m never really happy with this ‘build it and they will come’ approach – this speculative building of units,” he told the meeting.

“I just worry that we lose industrial land that may have been usable by bigger employers with more employees’.

Coun Driver moved to approve the application and was seconded by Coun Taylor. The committee unanimously agreed to grant planning permission.

Stockport Council’s planning and highways committee met at the town hall on Thursday July.