Trafford Council and developer Bruntwood Works’ blueprint for the town centre proposes building 800 homes, revamping Stretford Mall, reinstating King Street high street and repurposing the Lacy Street car park into a mixed-use scheme.
The joint venture’s masterplan follows three rounds of public consultation on early-stage proposals last year, and the completed plan is now out for consultation until 5 February.
It proposes rejuvenating a 27-acre area of the Greater Manchester surburb comprising five neighbourhoods – Victoria, St Ann’s, Lacy Street, Stretford Centre and Stretford House – with improved transport links, pedestrianised streets, more greenery and open spaces, and a reconfigured town centre with better connections to the Bridgewater canal.
The masterplan also includes a much-anticipated phased redevelopment of Stretford Mall, intended to improve the town’s retail and leisure offering.
Specific plans include:
- to reinstate the historic King Street as a thriving high street, and developing a ‘Makers Yard’ hub for small independent retailers and restaurants, with outdoor seating, eateries and bar areas.
- provide up to 800 residential units around Stretford Mall and St Matthew’s Church, to include affordable homes
- repurpose the Lacy Street area into a mixed-use space to unlock the connection between the town centre and the canal and open up the waterfront area. A series of interlinked public realm spaces would be created to bring people into Stretford from the wider area
- create green ‘meeting areas’ with public squares and open spaces, and a green ‘biodiversity corridor’, including a Library Square and Central Park at the heart of the town centre. The features would also improve access to the Bridgewater canal
- transform Stretford Mall and the surrounding area into a sustainable retail and leisure centre
The masterplan is part of Trafford Council’s wider Stretford Masterplan and Area Action Plan. The council has already begun opening up the site to make way for future work – last July, it won approval to knock down the former Royal Mail building on Lacy Street. That site was earmarked in the latest of the Stretford Masterplan to provide a “mixed development including affordable housing and student accommodation with retail and café and restaurant uses at ground floor level”.
Following the consultation on the latest proposals for Stretford, Trafford Council aims to submit a planning application for the first phase of the town centre masterplan – the Stretford Mall and Lacy Street proposals – in February.
The JV wants to unlock access to the Bridgewater Canal and create a waterside scheme
Trafford leader Cllr Andrew Western said: “The Stretford Masterplan is the culmination of a long-term collaborative partnership, and it’s a pleasure to work towards a shared vision and goals with Bruntwood Works and the local community.
“The proposals will significantly improve connectivity, create valuable green and open spaces, and hubs for people to gather and interact. It will also help attract local independent businesses and exciting retail and hospitality brands, while enhancing the lives of residents and visitors.”
Andrea George, town centre and consumer brands director at Bruntwood Works, said: “One key theme to emerge from the public’s feedback last year is the importance of bringing back a vibrant high street, which will be the beating heart of the town.
“We plan to do this by reinstating King Street and delivering the right blend of retail, leisure, workspace and mixed-use space to meet the needs of the community, where local independents can be neighbours with exciting brands.”
She added: “Green and open spaces that can safely bring people together are also at the centre of our proposals. The plan will deliver a mix of leafy public squares and parks, including Library Square and Central Park, and change traffic flows around the town to make it easier and safer to get around town on foot and by bicycle, while connecting the town centre with the canal waterfront.
“We look forward to working in partnership with local residents, businesses and Trafford Council to help reinvigorate Stretford town centre and build upon its heritage, so it works better for the future.”
Trafford Council struck a deal to buy Stretford Mall from M&M Asset Management in September 2019 as a key enabler of its plans for the town’s rejuvenation.
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