The next steps in the town centre’s huge regeneration
Regenerated Stretford town centre(Image: Jon Parker Lee)
Regeneration work is breathing new life into Stretford town centre after years of under-investment.
Transformation work led by Trafford council and Bruntwood Holdings has seen King Street reopen as a new high street and public square, with more businesses moving in every month. Among them is the town’s new Northern Light cinema, which is set to open its doors to the public next week.
The Kingsway has undergone changes to improve walking and cycling routes into the area, with the road itself reduced to two single lanes. A total of 53 new homes are also being built on the former Lacy Street car park, opposite the King Street shopping area, which was once home to a Royal Mail sorting office.
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But these schemes are not the extent of Trafford council’s ambitions for the area, with Phase 2 plans now coming forward. These will see the demolition of the rest of Stretford Mall, which shut its doors for the final time on Friday, February 27.
Phase 2a of the Stretford regeneration plan will see hundreds of new homes build(Image: Trafford council)
A planning application for the site is expected to be submitted this month, council documents reveal. It will set out proposals to build 248 new homes on the land once it is cleared.
These will be for market rent, the documents show, and are expected to comprise of 120 one-bed, 114 two-bed and 14 three-bed flats. A public park is also proposed for the land.
Trafford council hopes to start construction onsite in July 2027, subject to planning approval being given and the mall demolition being completed. Bosses expect work to be concluded by the end of 2029.
Phase 2 will be split into two parts, documents add, with Phase 2b set to deliver more homes in the area. This would see affordable housing built on land next to the initial 248 flats.
The ambition is to construct 178 homes there, expected to be a mix of one- and two-beds. However, this part of the project is dependent on external funding. Trafford council will be applying to Homes England for a grant and, if successful, a planning application will follow.
Ultimately, Trafford council hopes to build more than 750 new homes in the local area, with additional development phases still to come forward.
