Hundreds of new homes to be built on old Sainsbury’s site in Stockport

Hundreds of ‘high quality’ new homes are to be built on a former Sainsbury’s site in Stockport town centre.

Town hall bosses have given the go ahead for proposals that will see more than 500 flats and 34 townhouses spring up on the three-acre Warren Street plot. A total of 573 homes will be spread across a trio of buildings, rising in height from five to 15 storeys. The scheme also includes space for a range of potential uses such as shops, cafes, gyms and creches.

Parking for 122 cars is to be provided at basement level, while there are also 564 cycle spaces for resident’s use. A report to a meeting of the council’s planning committee said the ‘high quality’ development’ would complement the ‘transformational regeneration’ already underway in the town centre.

And Emma Curle, the council’s head of planning, told members the scheme would ‘enhance’ the town centre – while also ‘preserving the setting’ of neighbouring historic buildings.

She further noted that future residents would enjoy ‘communal gardens at ground and roof level as well as ‘high quality landscaped spaces and routes are proposed throughout the development’.

Coun Andy Sorton welcomed a proposed £498,000 contribution from applicant Amcap (Stockport) Ltd, largely earmarked for improvements at Heaton Norris Park. The Brinnington and Central ward councillor said that – as well as children’s play facilities –  a pavilion, community centre and bowling green could all benefit.

“This has to be a priority, we can’t have this development without places for people to go and decent, adequate recreation,” he said. “It’s nice to see that has been achieved in this particular one.”

Coun Sorton also described Amcap’s proposals to include 25 affordable homes within the scheme – subject to Homes England funding – as ‘a real plus’ and was pleased with plans to create long-term jobs for local people.

“We can’t just have jobs in a development and then it goes,” he told councillors. “There are going to be jobs around there and we want them for local people, within walking distance [of the site] who need jobs in that area.”

“It’s not just construction, it’s all the services that come after construction that we want to capture as well.And they [the applicant] are going to sit down with officers and local ward councillors to try and establish that as well.”

The application was unanimously approved by the committee.

Stockport council’s planning and highways committee met at the town hall on 10 November.