
Stockport Viaduct Photo: Paulbrock CC BY-SA 2.0
The Victorian Society is concerned that the Grade II* Stockport Viaduct, a major feat of British engineering and a pioneering structure of the early railway age, will be badly impacted and views around it destroyed by recently tabled plans. The Society is calling on everyone to object to the plans as they currently stand.
The scale of the proposed mixed-use development, the first in a series around the viaduct, will hugely diminish the landmark status of the historic structure, which, at the time of its completion, was the world’s largest viaduct and is reputed to be one of the world’s largest brick structures. It is one of an estimated thirty-three grade II* listed viaducts in the country, and one of its most remarkable. It has carried trainlines, including currently the West Coast Main Line railway, across the valley of the River Mersey in Greater Manchester since 1840.
James Hughes, Director, the Victorian Society, said:
“The Stockport Viaduct is one of the most remarkable railway structures in Britain. Locally and nationally it is hugely important, a fact that should be borne in mind, particularly in a year when the 200th anniversary of the birth of the railway is being celebrated. What is most remarkable though is the viaduct’s arresting scale and its pre-eminence within the urban context of Stockport, lending the structure an unrivalled landmark quality. Implementation of this scheme would profoundly undermine that landmark quality, in the process causing a high level of harm to the setting of the viaduct and impeding views of it. The face of Stockport would be fundamentally changed and irreversibly disfigured. The Society absolutely recognises the need for development, but the height, proximity and detailed design of the scheme proposed is unacceptable. We recommend that alternative options are explored that seek to introduce a certain density of development without challenging the prominence and isolation of the viaduct, which are crucial aspects of its significance.”
Part of the viaduct’s significance lies in the fact it represents the history of the town’s development during the second half of the nineteenth century and is an important example of early railway engineering. It played an integral role in connecting Stockport to both the north and south, connecting to Crewe and London, allowing for increased trading connections. The viaduct, therefore, forms a key part of the identity and fabric of the town.
The proposed development – and those like it – which have already been granted planning permission at Weir Mill, propose a critical mass of tall, densely packed buildings, which cumulatively will constitute an overdevelopment of the area.
In addition to the sheer scale of the new buildings proposed, the detailed design of the new structures fails to reflect the historic industrial and urban character of Stockport.
Little regard appears to have been given to ensuring that the viaduct remains a landmark structure and can be appreciated as such. Instead, it would be lost within a mass of new, unsympathetic development. It is imperative that a scheme which is sensitive to the viaduct and allows it to retain its dominance within the townscape is pursued.
The requirement for more housing within Stockport is understood, and the Victorian Society does not oppose the principle of residential development in the location proposed. However, the Society does not accept that this location is best suited to the development of tall buildings, and that such structures would be better and less harmfully located elsewhere in Stockport.
Historic England’s report Increasing Residential Density in Historic Environments (July 2018) highlights ways in which density can be achieved without unduly compromising the historic environment. The report emphasises the role heritage plays in placemaking, and highlights the ways the numbers of housing units can be achieved through medium-rise, as opposed to high-rise, development. A development at Wapping Wharf in Bristol serves as an example in the report as to how density can be achieved without disrupting views of or towards specific heritage assets. Buildings in the report are a range of four to six storeys, providing visual interest whilst not dominating the skyline.
The proposal in its current form, however, undermines the viaduct due to its scale, proximity and unsympathetic design, and runs counter to the Council’s own report that “future proposals should respond by sensitively integrating listed, locally listed and non-designated assets”. Strategic Regeneration Framework Final Report, (page 102, October 2019)
If approved, this scheme will set a precedent for the construction of tall/high-rise buildings close to the viaduct, undermining its importance and reducing its visual dominance in the town and the ability for it to be appreciated by residents and tourists.
The planning application reference to make a comment or write an objection by 26 January 2025 is: DC/094376
The link to the application on the planning website is:
https://planning.stockport.gov.uk/PlanningData-live/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage4376