Ambitions to transform and modernise Stockport’s bus station have moved a step closer after the town’s council gave the go-ahead for the £120m plans.

The new and improved transport interchange will see a roof top park built above with a walking and cycling bridge linking it with Stockport’s train station as part of a wider £1 billion regeneration of the town centre.

Located alongside the A6 and Mersey Square, the multi-million pound development will be funded by Transport for Greater Manchester, Stockport Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), with support from central government through the Greater Manchester Local Growth Deal programme.

Expected to be completed by 2023, work could start as early as spring next year with plans also in place for a 17-storey tower block containing almost 200 flats next to the town’s famous viaduct arches.

The cycle- and foot-bridge linking the development and railway station, via the park, will benefit from the Greater Manchester mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund – a wider £160m package that will see 42 new cycling and walking schemes delivered across Greater Manchester.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I’m delighted that the Stockport Interchange, residential development and park plans have been given the go-ahead. Stockport is a key area for me and one that I’m keen to see benefit from even better transport infrastructure as outlined in Greater Manchester's 2040 Transport Strategy. Combining easy and accessible transport links with town centre living and green open space, the project encapsulates what could become an innovative template for modern transport hubs in our city-region.”

The interchange project will also see the upgrading of a nearby section of the Trans Pennine Trail alongside the River Mersey and associated secure cycle parking. 

Building on Stockport’s connectivity, it’s hoped the wide-ranging development will bolster the success of developments like Stockport Exchange and Redrock that have already been hailed by city leaders.

Caroline Simpson, Stockport Council’s corporate director for place, said: “The interchange is our biggest ever statement of ambition for Stockport town centre. It will take our exceptional transport connectivity to a new level, help redefine Stockport as a place to live by providing up to 200 high-quality homes, bring forward a fully accessible walking and cycling link from the rail station to Merseyway for the first time ever and create a new outdoor space for everyone to enjoy in the new two-acre public park.”