Stockport’s next regeneration phase is now on the statute book. The Stockport Town Centre Mayoral Development Corporation has been established by Order made on 15 January, laid before Parliament on 19 January, and due to take effect on 23 February 2026. Signed by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Miatta Fahnbulleh, the instrument gives legal backing to an expanded town‑centre programme agreed locally last autumn. It formalises the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s October 2025 designation of a wider Mayoral Development Area across the town centre. ([greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk](Link

What changes on the ground is the scale. The MDC’s remit grows to 410 acres, combining the original 130‑acre Town Centre West with a further 280 acres east of the A6. Stockport Council says the housing ambition doubles from 4,000 to 8,000 homes over the next 15 years. That step up is designed to tip the balance towards town‑centre living, bringing people closer to transport and shops. ([stockport.gov.uk](Link

Investors and landlords will recognise what an MDC does: it concentrates decision‑making, offers a single front door for landowners and developers, and is set up to pull public and private capital into delivery. Greater Manchester Combined Authority frames it as a focused vehicle to drive investment and coordinate agencies, with establishment expected in early 2026. ([greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk](Link

The expansion builds on a five‑year track record. Stockport reports 1,200 homes delivered or under way in the west, 170,000 sq ft of Grade A offices, and around £600m of private capital attracted alongside the council’s programme. Named schemes include Stockport Exchange, the multi‑award‑winning Interchange and Weir Mill-tangible proof the model already works locally. ([stockport.gov.uk](Link

Funding has also shifted up a gear. In November, the town secured £56.3m from the first wave of the £1bn GM Good Growth Fund: £41.3m to accelerate Stockport 8’s first phase of 435 homes, including 82 for affordable rent, and £15m for 245 age‑inclusive homes on Fletcher Street. That cash is intended to keep cranes moving while private finance continues to scale in. ([stockport.gov.uk](Link

For the high street, the numbers matter. Thousands more residents living within a short walk of Merseyway and the Old Town often translate into steadier weekday trade for cafés, gyms and essential retail. That is the stated aim behind the town‑centre living push set out by Stockport Council and the combined authority as they move from pilots to full‑town delivery. ([stockport.gov.uk](Link

On the eastern side, the Strategic Regeneration Framework sketches an illustrative masterplan through to 2040, dovetailing with the earlier 2035 plan for Town Centre West that envisaged up to 4,000 homes, 1m sq ft of employment space and 5,300 jobs. Together, the two SRFs underpin the 8,000‑home goal and the shift to a dense, mixed‑use core. ([greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk](Link

The city‑centre style pipeline is already visible. Stockport 8 aims to create a walkable neighbourhood next to the Interchange, while new blocks at Mailbox and further phases at Exchange signal urban living as standard in the borough. Homes England is a long‑term partner to the programme, alongside Stockport Council’s own £100m investment facility that has helped unlock sites. ([stockportmdc.co.uk](Link

For small firms and property owners, the practical takeaway is to plan for rising footfall and construction demand from spring. Early procurement rounds on enabling works tend to favour local trades with the right accreditations, while landlords should expect more enquiries from operators testing daytime‑into‑evening concepts near the Interchange and Viaduct. Expect more flexible leases, pop‑up trials and meanwhile uses as schemes phase in.

The legal instrument also tidies the map. The Mayoral development area boundary follows the inside edge of the marked red line, with inspection copies lodged with Whitehall and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. GMCA has also published the boundary map online, giving businesses a clear sense of where planning and delivery will be coordinated under the new corporation. ([greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk](Link