The town centre is the heart and hub of a local community and this is why the news that plans for Stockport Town Centre are moving at pace has to be seen as a good thing. In October of 2016, there was a vote by businesses in the town centre, which approved the introduction of the Business Improvement District, or BID. This would see all firms of a certain size or statue paying a 12% levy (based on the value of their firm) into the scheme on an annual basis. It is believed that this will bring in close to £2.5m over a five year period and a firm run by the businesses paying the levy will be in full control of the money and how it is spent.
This scheme is up and running under the “Totally Stockport” brand and there are a number of key aims and priorities of the scheme: There is a hope that the BID will lead to:
- The town centre being a safer and more attractive place for people and businesses
- To create more choice and diversity in the town centre
- To ensure Stockport Town Centre is properly marketed
- To enable business deals and activities in Stockport
All of these outcomes will be of benefit to Stockport and they should have a positive impact on the local property market. When people feel safe in the local area, when they feel that the local area meets their consumer needs and when businesses are doing well, everyone can benefit and there will be a greater level of demand for property in Stockport. It always makes sense to look at the bigger picture and while some people may not believe this movement will have much of an impact on their life, anything which helps to improve the local area has to be seen as a good thing for Stockport. At Spencer Harvey, we are fully committed to helping the Stockport property market flourish and we believe there will be a positive impact from this work. If you want to chat about the Stockport property market, arrange an appointment or pop in and see us.
Stockport has a lot to offer
It would be fair to say that there have been steps to make Stockport more attractive already. Events like Foodie Friday, the Vintage Village, the Robinsons’ Beer Festival, the Teenage Market and the Old Town Folk Festival have all had a great impact in creating awareness about what Stockport has to offer and in drawing people, and money, to the local area.
While many of these events are annual events or occasional activities, which are clearly easier to promote and support, it would be good to see more regular events added to the Stockport line- up of attractions.