FAQS

A Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), like the one here in Stockport, is an organisation established by a Metro Mayor to drive the regeneration of a defined area.

In Stockport, the MDC brings together the powers of the Mayor with strong local leadership from the Council. This approach enables ambitious regeneration to move forward quickly, while remaining responsive to the needs and character of our borough, providing confidence for investors and partners without adding unnecessary complexity. Our role is not to replace the Council, but to strengthen delivery by aligning investment and partners around a shared vision for the town centre.

In 2019, following a public consultation, Stockport became the first MDC in Greater Manchester.

Over the past decade, Stockport has led one of the UK’s most ambitious town centre regeneration programmes, redefining what a modern, thriving town centre can be.

The MDC was established in 2019 to accelerate that vision by bringing forward 4,000 new homes, 1m sq ft of new employment space and 5,300 new jobs. Since then, it has played a central role in turning ambition into delivery, bringing forward thousands of new homes, Grade A office space and state of the art facilities and infrastructure.

Building on this success, in 2026 the MDC boundary was trebled to cover the whole town centre, alongside a renewed ambition to deliver 8,000 new homes. This reflects both the progress made so far and the scale of opportunity ahead.

As the first town centre MDC in the country and the first MDC to expand, Stockport has moved quickly from a pioneering model to a proven delivery vehicle.

You can read more about our journey and ambitions in Our Story.

Stockport MDC is led by an independent Board, working in partnership with Stockport Council and the Greater Manchester Mayor.

The MDC Board has overall responsibility for all aspects of the organisation’s business. It is made up of representatives of Stockport Council’s main political parties and Homes England, along with senior level private sector Board members who provide specialist expertise and experience of large-scale regeneration. The leaders of the Council’s smaller political parties all attend Board meetings as associate Board members, along with senior officers of the Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Day-to-day work is delivered by a dedicated team working closely with partners across the public and private sectors.

Stockport MDC is delivering Stockport’s One Stockport One Future vision to transform the town centre into a vibrant place to live, work and spend time. This includes 8,000 new homes and one million sq ft of high-quality employment space, creating the scale needed to support long-term growth.

New neighbourhoods will offer a mix of homes for all stages of life, alongside essential infrastructure including a secondary school and healthcare hub. Improvements to connectivity, public spaces and green infrastructure will create a more walkable, well-connected town centre, all guided by clear strategic frameworks shaped through consultation.

You can read more about our strategy and plans in vision.

Regenerating a town centre at this scale is a long-term programme, requiring careful planning, strong partnerships and a coordinated approach to delivery.

Stockport MDC brings together land, investment and expertise to unlock complex sites and support sustainable growth. This includes working closely with residents and businesses, alongside developers and investors, to ensure regeneration is both deliverable and well‑balanced.

It also requires alignment of public sector powers and resources at local, Greater Manchester and national levels, creating the conditions for investment to come forward with confidence.

As a result, the transformation of Stockport town centre is being delivered over a 15-20 year period to 2040, providing the time and certainty needed to achieve lasting, high‑quality change.

We understand that regeneration can bring uncertainty, particularly for businesses and property owners. Our priority is to work closely with those affected, providing early information, support and practical guidance throughout the process.

Where relocation is required, the Council can help businesses identify suitable alternative premises. This includes access to a dedicated property search service, which you can explore directly here: https://www.stockport.gov.uk/commercial-premises/business-premises-search.

Businesses can also be connected with local commercial property agents to help explore new opportunities, as well as a range of support through the https://www.businessgrowthhub.com/, which offers expert advice, funding opportunities and networking – much of which is fully funded.

While the MDC has powers to use Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPO), our approach is always to seek agreement wherever possible. If you have concerns, or are considering your options, we encourage you to speak to the team for tailored advice and support.

Yes. A key focus of Stockport MDC’s regeneration programme is to create new homes that meet the needs of both new and existing residents.

A wide mix of high-quality homes is being delivered across the town centre, including one, two and three-bedroom apartments and townhouses. These are available across a range of tenures, from affordable and private rent to homes for sale, providing more choice for people at every stage of life.

New neighbourhoods are being designed as inclusive, intergenerational communities, bringing together a mix of ages, incomes and lifestyles. The aim is to ensure there is something for everyone, whether you’re starting out, growing a family, or looking to downsize, so more people can live and thrive in Stockport town centre.