Many thanks for all the comments that have been submitted so far. Please keep commenting. I aim to reply to everyone (but don't quite manage it sometimes!)
Many thanks for your support and nice to hear from people from Stockport who have moved away. I moved away - to the Middle East, but was glad to return!
Good to see you advocating for development that enhances a townscape. It's when people don't care that mistakes are allowed to go forward. I hope you and the others in Stockport who care about this issue will be successful in your campaign to stop the construction of this building blocking the view of the viaduct.
Many thanks for your support, even though you live far away and have never visited Stockport. It doesn’t matter, the issue of caring for our heritage is universal. Always great to hear from you :)
Now you've given me a couple of ideas for videos "IS STOCKPORT IN DANGER of becoming Manchester's Croydon?" and maybe "CROYDON - Does it deserve its reputation". I'd probably prefer to do the first one. I"ll think about it! Many thanks for your feedback.
I was on the gang that restored the viaduct 1980s loved doing it . Great sense of honour and proudness in your work on such a fabulous piece of Britain’s heritage . It looked great once finished especially lit up at night . to be partially hidden by that is a disgrace.
Wow that's very interesting. I remember how it was, in fact you can see the state it was in in my black and white photos taken aruond 1984. It looked great when completed and with the floodlighting, but it has become weathered again. Maybe another renovation is needed before its 200th anniversary! I agree, hiding the viaduct and upsetting the panoramic view is an appalling decision. Many thanks for your comment!
Thanks Aidan for creating and posting a superb video highlighting the next carbuncle to disgrace Stockport. The part of the scheme to redevelop Weir Mill itself is very impressive and will bring back to life what is currently a decaying piece of the town’s heritage. It will also open up the adjacent riverside with tasteful walkways and cafes. The council own 2 thirds of the land the tower will be built on, as well as a large chunk of land diagonally opposite the mill on the west side of the viaduct. A straight land swap could have seen the tower built on the west side of the viaduct and much further away. This was proposed to the council but it was ignored and it seems many of the councillors who voted to approve the scheme were not made aware of the proposal. As the Victorian Society have objected to the scheme, on the basis of the tower causing harm to the views of the Grade II* listed viaduct, the scheme will need further approval from the Secretary of State (Michael Gove) of Levelling-up, Housing and Communities (the Ministry of Silly Titles). Bets on it will just get rubber stamped without a second thought. The cumulative effect of this tower, the to-be-constructed 19 storey bus station tower and the existing 1970s towers will be to completely ruin cherished views from the town centre of an iconic landmark, made famous by many artists and photographers, including L.S. Lowry.
Many thanks, I really wasn’t expecting ‘superb video’ I put it together fairly quickly and kept it shorter than my other videos. What you say is absolutely right. Of all the politicians to be deciding on the future of our town! :( Many thanks for your comment and kind words.
I don't know. We don't know who the people are who decided this. I've a horrible feeling they do live in Stockport but don't understand what's at stake.
With the history of Stockport Council I very much fear that this is now set in stone the council have made many many building mistakes over the years including the running down of the Market area they run rough shod over the general population of Stockport with the planning of the New Outlook allowing the covering up of the main landmark in Stockport and this development needs the council to put money up for it to be done it needs to be re addressed I think a lot of people want to see Weir Mill being put back into some kind of use but to build a huge block of flats in front of the viaduct is wrong imo
In Manchester there was a proposal to build a pair of 'tombstone' skyscraper on the former police station with, with the demolition of the Abercromby pub and the old police station facade. It was proposed by the 'footballers turned property developers'. There was a backlash and they reluctantly withdrew it. Another plan was developed. Still damaging but not as bad as the original one. As far as I'm aware, no work has started on the site. If there isn't a backlash, they'll go ahead but if there is, well, maybe they will see sense. We'll see. Many thanks for your comment!
I think your video was good - highlighting the positives as well as the negatives of these plans. I feel like I'm in a parrallel universe that these flats could possibly be built. It seems that they are being justified as the only way to make the proposals financially viable but surely there is an alternative. Enhancing one area shouldn't be at the detriment of another. The viaduct is so well loved and should be highlighted, not hidden.
Great video. As an ex-Stockport lad, I've lived in Christchurch, New Zealand for the last 15 years so I've had a fair bit of exposure to new build & city centre regeneration following the February 2011 earthquake in which a lot of our heritage buildings were lost. I've never forgotten my roots though and always keep myself up-to-speed with what's happening in and around Stockport. I saw a press article on this proposed new build and simply wondered which bunch of idiots would think that placing a building so close to the viaduct was actually a good idea - in any universe? Surely there are planning rules for this sort of thing? I hope they've done their sums too because from what I've seen, I reckon the ROI is going to take a bit of a hit with approximately 15-20% of the units on the east side of this building remaining unsold. Who the hell would pay premium prices to look at a brick wall and spend the their days in perpetual darkness? The aviator & aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland famously once said about aircraft designs that "If it doesn't look right, it isn't!". The same principle can be applied to all designs. This one is a shocker!
Thanks great to hear from you, so far away but still in contact with Stockport. I agree with your analysis 100%. You're right about the apartments on... it would be the west wide, facing the viaduct. The block stands on the east side and blocks the view from the town centre. I think they have somehow convinced themselves that the newbuild is acceptable. They are treating the site as if the viaduct wasn't there, in effect going back to pre-1840 times. We need to keep up the campaign, convince more people to sign the petition and more. Many thanks and greetings from Stockport across the miles!
650 trains a day cross the points noisily at the end of the viaduct day and night, so these new "executive`' [haha] flats would be ideal for the totally deaf.
@@EarlRobo Yes, one of those freight trains with about 100 wagons (or so) pulled by a powerful diesel loco at full pelt first thing in the morning... who needs an alarm clock? I'm sure there would be some deep level vibration too. Plus, all those afternoon commuters staring from the train into your bedroom. Sounds great!
Great video but sadly we have to move with the times. The new bus station look amazing but I agree not to hide our viaduct we must all take a stand....
Many thanks for your positive comment. The new bus station will be a very welcome addition to Stockport and I look forward to using it, however a modern block in front and twice the height of the viaduct is not right! You're right, the more people take a stand, the greater the chance that a catastrophe can be averted.
Yes, I've heard about that. It would be on the site of the car park and temporary bus station on Heaton Lane. I can't imagine how they would cram a whole hospital on that site without building to a height of many floors. I must investigate it. Many thanks for flagging this up!
@@AidanEyewitness I understand that the proposed town centre hospital might be a day-care type hospital facility, perhaps for just some specific treatments. This has been successful at the Withington Community Hospital on Nell Lane.
@@EarlRobo Thanks for that information. Yes, I know the hospital on Nell Lane, I once took a family member to the drop-in centre there. The facility would be in the town centre, in a convenient location. There is a hospital in the centre of Altrincham. Stepping Hill is the main hospital in the area ( I was born there!) but it's quite a drive from the town centre, or ride on the 192 bus!
Disgusting, just doesn’t fit with the area, what a completely stupid place to put it , just hope the plans get vetoed down the line. I do like the look of the new bus station, especially the roof garden. I really need to go to Stockport, keep meaning to go and it’s not difficult from Horwich, I want to get some photos of the old market and cobbled streets like Underbank. Not forgetting, and more urgently, the Viaduct.
Yes I love the new bus station, it will be really good. The Underbanks are very nice and the clock has been restored. The chimes will soon be working again. So it’s not all bad news. Many thanks for your comment
I found your channel quite recently and have watched many of the videos. As a fine art architectural photographer I'm very interested in architecture and planning (or lack of it). I have to agree with you about the new tower next to the viaduct. I'm wondering who might want to live there with constant noise and vibration from the very busy rail line. Stockport town centre is very badly in need of redevelopment but i sometimes despair of the lack of vision with these new projects. Whilst you seldom hear the words "town planning" and more often hear "development" - there is the problem. Its the wild west in pursuit of a quick buck. The developers laugh all the way to bank and everyone else has to put up with it. keep the videos coming.
Thanks very much for this message. I’ve just found your details on the SI PA contest site. Very interesting, you’ve done lots of stuff. To me it seems blindingly obvious that this is a bad place for a residential tower. Haven’t they seen those Veolia trains carrying smelly waste for recycling with over 30 trucks, pounding over the rails with a noisy diesel Loco at the top? What you’ve said is certainly true of the past, the 60s in the 70s. Is it still true today? We’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out. I personally think the bus interchange is going to be good. Many thanks, and plenty of videos about new developments and architecture in the pipeline, particularly Manchester where there is a hotspot. It’s like the Forth Bridge - once I’ve been around the city centre documenting progress, then I have to start again to catch up with all the new developments!
I agree, but there are some councillors in Stockport Council who actually think it is a good think and will look attractive set against the viaduct. That's something I just can't understand. Many thanks for your comment.
@@AidanEyewitness So we visited 18/04/23. Thankfully nothing built right up to viaduct, but I note buildings both sides of the river now further obscuring the view from Mersey Sq. side. Just noticed the Travel Lodge too. The bear pit? I know it's next to construction work but in my entire life never seen it in such poor condition.
@@TonyWilliampianoman Yes, the bear pit has been in a poor condition for as long as I can remember. I hope they will renovate it as part of the bus station project. The two office blocks next to the river should never have been built. We just have to make the best of things. There are still plenty of great locations in Stockport.
Hi there I really hate what Stockport as done in the name of improvement ... It started when they knocked down the old building on Mersey square! I was only young yet it really upset me and still hate that they keep knocking down older buildings the worst new build is that monstrosity red rock every time I go Passed it I cring! In fact it was classed as the worst building in Europe
I know exactly what you mean. You are referring to the old tramways building on Mersey Square, a magnificent building that should have been saved. in the 1960s however, the idea of saving old buildings - except for a few prominent ones - was largely seen as a joke and so it was demolished to make way for the Merseyway frontage. Despite more recent renovations, it can never replace the magnificent building from which trams once emerged. As for Redrock, in my experience, few buildings have been more criticised than this one. Stockport Council are also proposing to move the library out of the Stockport Central Library building into a new unit in the precinct. nearly 7500 have signed a petition against it. Sign here if you agree! you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-stockport-s-historic-central-library Many thanks for your comment.
Great video. This proposed carbuncle block tower block of flats will be almost twice as high as the viaduct and totally ruin the best view in Stockport. An alternative brownfield site was proposed two years ago but on the east side of the viaduct, on King Street West which would be adjacent to their planned smaller almost identical second tower block, which would match each other symbiotically. This proposal has been totally ignored by the developer and SMBC. Most of the councillors who recently voted in favour of the 14 storey tower block which will almost touch the viaduct on its east side, had not been made aware of this alternative proposal when they voted it through. This solution would have perfectly resolved this problem.
I just cannot understand how any councillor, whose job it is to make the best choices for Stockport, could approve something as devastating as this tower. It really feels to me personally like a kick in the teeth, as I have been an admirer of the viaduct since I was at primary school at Our Lady's, just next to the station. I will have to look at that thing every time I go along Wellington Road and every time I cross the viaduct on a train. There will be no getting away from it. With other factors it's the sort of thing that would want you to leave Stockport and go and live somewhere else but I'm not at that stage yet! Many thanks for your support.
@@davidsivills3599 Well I love railway viaducts in general - Ribblehead, Harringworth. Pont du Gard in France. Stockport viaduct needs some renovation however.
@@AidanEyewitness Simple, they go with the money! They don’t represent us. At the end of the day, it will probably look alright when it is finished and the debris cleared away. There is still a great view of the viaduct from the other side, particularly from B+Q’s car park! The Weir mill was in desperate need of refurbishment, it had become a real eyesore. But the May elections are coming up and we can indicate what we think in our vote. You know who runs the Council - the Lib Dems along with Labour!
Living so close too viaduct would be hell surely because of the trains ? Horrible looking monstrosity as well , money wins most of the time as we all know.
Yes, I really don't think the architects have thought this through properly. There are quite a few freight trains with a noisy diesel loco and 30+ carriages. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have that going past your bedroom window several times a day!
@@AidanEyewitness Ever seen the Blues Brothers ? Elwood's crappy micro room right next too railway exactly same as this. Unless sound proofing and anti vibration tech is so cheap......Hahaha😂
I am totally against the proposals of both tower blocks, out of place, and not wanted by a lot of people in the town..the block at the new interchange(?). is disgraceful, and should be no higher than the Hat Museum alongside..The block at the Weir mill project is a blot on the landscape, and why so close to the viaduct,and higher than the structure the council use in promoting the town., sounds like money is what talks and the opnions of the towns people do not matter.....I agree the mill should be utilised, so make that into flats/apartments, and forget about the monstrosity alongside.The structures would fit in better in Manchester or Salford Quays, but NOT in the middle of a town..I also agree we needed a new bus station, but the planners missed the opportunity when Grand Central was demolished next to the railway station, the ideal location for bus taxi,train..and tram(which we are still waiting for it to arrive after 20yrs)..that is a proper interchnage,not the one now being being built..but it seems retail/offices and a hotel are more important to the council planners,rather than a fully intergrated transport interchange..The new transport hub is NOT an interchange, it will remain a bus station, until(or if) the trams arrive..and even then its still 1/4 mile away from one of the busiest railway stations in South Manchester..The planners have lost the plot, and maybe the as a result, and all the objections raised by the public, will make sure the council lose not only the plot,their jobs at the next elections..feelings are high about these proposals, and a lot of people welcome a new bus station, but NOT the monstrosities planned in the vicinity..I enjoyed your video..and the fact you have highlighted a contraversial subject on behalf of the people of the Stockport.
Thanks very much for your comment and positive feedback. I think you made some very good points there. The apartment building on top of the bus station is considered by many to be oversized, but I understand that the project is partly funded through the residential buildings. Still it should not be a compromise between an ugly oversize block and having a proper transport facility. As for the block in front of the viaduct, there’s nothing more to be said about it. It is going to have dire consequences and will be around for a very long time, long after the decision-makers who put it there have gone from office. As for having the transport interchange on the Grand Central site, I think that might have been difficult from the point of view of access. There is a McDonald’s there and it also often generates gridlock at peak times. Also it would be difficult to get the tram up such a steep gradient I think. Still it’s a good point. The distance of the station to the town centre has always been a problem. There will be the pedestrian walkway which is probably the best that can be offered under the circumstances. A moving walkway like at Manchester Airport would be good, but no doubt not feasible and probably frequently out of order, like the ones at the airport. So thanks again for sharing your thoughts, every thoughtful and positive contribution gratefully received!
I moved away from Stockport in 2002, and I hate seeing what they've done with the place whenever I get back up there. I appreciate times move on, but I miss the old town of my youth.
Need a lot doing to it the new bus station and the three flats one new the ones at mill. The mill is became dangerous my sister used to work in the mill and say the floor moves the viaduct you will still see it from the A6 and you can walk to a different place to see it
Work has started on renovating the mill. It was derelict for many years so I’m not surprised it was dangerous. I am a photographer and the tall block ruins the view of the viaduct. No one is going to hang a print of the magnificent early Victorian railway viaduct on their wall with a modern block of flats stuck in front of it! Interested to hear your sister worked at the mill. Many thanks for your comment and for watching the video and apologies for the long delay in replying.
My god, what were they thinking? Hideous looking building that is so close to the viaduct that anyone in the lower couple of floors facing the viaduct will be up close and personal with a wall of bricks a few feet away from their panoramic windows. You have to presume that someone in a suit is ok with this. Or maybe this may be the first of several other blocks that could eventually fill in that area in front of the viaduct. No sense of form, no sense of aesthetics, no sense of history. No sense of shame. No sense at all.
I couldn't have put it better myself. Placing a block so close to a historic railway viaduct to my mind is utterly unthinkable on so many levels. I think there was a breakdown in the design process. They decided a tall block was necessary. That was the only part of the site where it could be built so they just decided to stick it there, ignoring the fact that a railway viaduct crosses the site. On the ground plans, the railway viaduct is not so obvious. Maybe they just forgot it's there and then once they'd completed the plans it was too late. Maybe the people who designed it have never visited Stockport. They didn't want to admit their mistake and lose face. That's just me speculating. If it goes ahead as planned, this planning mistake will cause huge problems for Stockport over the coming decades. I'm not looking forward to the 200th anniversary.
Thanks for your really interesting and informative video. I'm an architect, and I appreciate your balanced assessment of these proposals. Credit where credit is due on the bus station design, but you are absolutely right about the Capital and Centric's tower proposal bang up against the viaduct. What an aberration. Impractical in design terms, but most importantly it would irreparably deface an iconic piece of 19thC townscape. I've signed the petition too.
Many thanks and good to hear from an architect - As a child I was interested in becoming an architect but I had difficulty with Maths!- Anyway I'm glad to hear your confirmation that the block is absolutely wrong and very damaging in this location. It seems bizarre that they would place it so close and make it so high. Surely it would have been possible to place it at a distance and perhaps give it more width and less height. Capital and Centric have done good work in other locations, such as Kampus in Manchester. I don't know what lapse took place to allow this monstrosity to go ahead. I think there are going to be problems due to vibration, noise and lighting issues. When the Avanti West Coast goes by a whole trainload of people looking into your living room and when one of those waste trains with 30 cars full of smelly waste, especially if both lines ahead are blocked, it's not exactly what you want in your back yard. They've started preliminary work on the site. Very sad. Thanks for your contribution, much appreciated.
I’ve visited RHS Bridgewater Gardens on a few occasions since they opened and so drive through this impressive structure. It’s good that it’s being valued by the local community. What’s the latest on the developments around it?
You mean Stockport railway viaduct? The construction projects are moving ahea and I will be featuring them I think in my next video. The bus interchange is taking shape, the intrusive residential block in front of the viaduct has not yet appeared.
@@AidanEyewitness i was looking forward to sun alliance eventually being pulled, and we could see our viaduct. And even a restored century mill.. i dont mind the station, but the block is just another prefab eye sore to hide our heritage imho ofc.... lowery will be turning in his cenotaph.
@@captaindarling1509 That is a very good point. Our towns and cities are the inspiration for art, such as by LS Lowry and Trevor Grimshaw. But imagine putting a big rectangular block in the middle of one of their works of art depicting the viaduct, we can see just how unphotogenic it is, and I think, very disrespectful. I predict there will be problems with that building in the future… Many thanks for your comment!
@@AidanEyewitness thanks for taking time to reply, and yes that photo of lowry at the top of the steps down to the station with the viaduct and brinksway estate, was almost reclaimed somewhat lol im almost 50 and i almost remember the back to backs that were still around. when stockport was a port / hub for the coal and cotton i think its about time kids were taught stockport once was a bustling place with people living in it.lol portwood brinksway heaton norris and lanky hill estates all close back to backs, next to their factory's, all gone ..so many people back then.,,,so may pigeons!... and before that at its hight, land of 100 halls, before the industrial revolution, stockport in those 1740's new back to backs ( demolished between (1950 - 85ish) and the new factory's going up, people in horse and carts and parasol umbrellas, a posh wealthy affluent hub. constantly full of people , yet they just want to bury it or hide it! (council / corps) .. maybe one day they will excavate tiviot dale station, or open Heaton Norris shelters on dodge hill., find the Portwood shelters again near the tannery ... or just maybe see the potential of stockport canal actualy being restored, its all their, buiried, loads of narrowboat housing potential. while actually preserving our heritage .. or we could... put up another fkn 25 year eyesore blocking our viaduct.. or bang another stupid junction under the godawfull galvanised ranp next to the prefab cinema than induces levels of autism whenever anyone drives next to it...on what has to be the ugliest places on earth. how tiviot dale has changed....definition of utterly fkd im laughing ,, but its not looking good m8.... and where are the fkn pigeons? i remember in primary their was always a kid a week with a black eye from some little fkr from the flats dare stomp near them once,,, it was like a Hitchcock scene.....oh, ofc, we dont have chippies in stockpot now, forgot lol mark my words, the last originality to mersyway will go next, and another eyesore on the footprint of the george and dragon pub.
With any protest campaign, you can't give up hope, you've got to keep highlighting it. If enough people protest and make their voices heard, then it is possible for it to be overturned. I've been involved with similar protests in Manchester, some have succeeded some haven't. Many thanks for your comment!
@@AidanEyewitness It would be amazing if it was overturned. It will be a bl**dy eye sore. You would think the planners would have learned by now but sadly they seem to be as unenlightened now as they were in the 1960s. It is a great video by the way.
We have had a similar mistake in Oldham at Mumps. The railway bridge was a landmark and built in stone; needed a cleaning, that’s all. But we were told for the Metro to use it , was too steep a gradient, so was demolished for the trams to run across the main town bye-pass; a dual carriageway that needed a multi traffic light system, which had not been previously been so complicated, or dangerous with the steel in-set rails for cycles and motor cycles. Within 2 years there was a re-routing of the Metro and now it engages far steeper inclines than the bridge ever did ! We lost an iconic and unique structure and I often wonder who got all that stone ? And how did Sainsbury’s know that they would’ve gained a tram stop directly outside their newly-located store, in the re-planning ? I wonder……….
@@septerverius2 It's a flawed system and it seems the people making the decisions about our heritage have no interest in it or awareness of it. Many thanks for your favourable comment. I really did have a heavy heart as it's not very inspiring to have to spend time and effort protesting against bad decisions. I was going to make it longer but I thought, no, I'll just keep it short and to the point. So I'm pleased you think it's a great video. Please also watch my Stockport Dawn to Dusk video, which is partly a tribute to the viaduct. ua-cam.com/video/Bt_FLIrDe_4/v-deo.html
@@AidanEyewitness I worked in the SMBC Architects Department between 1974 and 1977. A number of the architects sat overlooking the viaduct and had binoculars on the window cill. We had a great view of the railway and when a diesel went over the bins would come out to spot the number. That view will now be ruined like a smile with a missing tooth.
I heartily agree with your statements in this video. What are your thoughts on the current central library situation and the proposal of ‘the stockroom’ in Mersey Square?
I am aware of them but I need to study them in more detail. I don't like the idea of abandoning the library. It was given to Stockport by the Carnegie foundation, it should continue in its original use as a public amenity. I've used it a lot, the local studies area is superb.
Stockport bus station may not have been the most attractive, but its sad to see it go as its been here all my life. Having said that, I'm looking forward to seeing the progress of Stockport Interchange
I know what you mean. Something is part of your life, even though it's not the most exciting or attractive place. Peoples' feelings and memories are attached to familiar locations and when those locations disappear, it's almost like a part of your childhood is gone. Still, I think the new interchange is going to be great. Demolition work on the old station has now started. Many thanks!
Yes, sadly, very true. The mistakes in Stockport go back decades. Stockport could have a much more attractive and thriving town centre if those mistakes hadn't been made.
@@AidanEyewitness A lack of civic pride possibly linked to a highly centralised UK govt. which means a lack of shared national identity. Who knows? Really enjoy your videos none the less. 🙂
I think it got destroyed 60 years ago when they built a shit shopping center over it all. I'm more worried that you can't drive through the center according to the plans. Great. even more traffic to sit in
Well at least they built a new road from Wellington Rd North under the viaduct to Travis Brow. I remember the shopping centre being built on top of the ‘road on stilts’ built over the River Mersey in the 1930s.
That's a problem, signature numbers, they are never enough. Only people who are aware, connected and committed will usually sign a petition. But 99 more people who broadly agree with the petition won't get to sign for various reasons. It means politicans can ignore it. Only when you have very large numbers can politicians take notice. But the local elections are coming up soon, that has a more direct effect than a petition. Who knows what will happen in Stockport?
Ja, das stimmt schon, aber ein Gebäude, das zweimal so hoch ist wie der Viadukt, das auch die Ansicht teilweise blockiert, das find ich nicht gut! Vielen Dank für den Kommentar auf Deutsch!
I think personally there should be something in place around Stockport, where if you want to build it has to blend with the surrounding buildings, as a modern council and generation we have destroyed Stockport's history and it's beautiful buildings destroyed for new horrible shit, everything they got rid of i.e house's we now need it's a joke, I just wish they kept everything the same from the war era that's when everything was smart
You are right, a lot of Stockport's unique character was lost in the 1960s. One example is the old tramway building on Mersey Square. The shopping centre built over the river was revolutionary, but the design left a lot to be desired. It was remodelled in later years. I'm not sure if all the buildings could have been kept, some were in a bad state, but too many viable buildings were destroyed. I also dislike those two 1960w office blocks west of the town centre that block the views of the viaduct. They should never have been built. Many thanks for your comment.
i think they build it any ways look at red rock carpark voted the worst looking building in the uk ever its not about what it looks like to them its all about money money just for once i hope they think about how are town looks and we ha hatters town even are foodball club respects it by being known as stockport hatters insted of cover it up why not show off are history and be proud of what we have insted of change change i mean the money could go for better use like the homeless and others in need if it ant broke why fix it
Some very good points there! I agree it's important to show off our history and celebrate the town's heritage. A modern block stuck up against the viaduct and spoiling a view that has been there since 1840 is not the best way to do it. Many thanks for your comment.
Appreciating and caring for our heritage and safeguarding it for future generations is not living in the past. Millions of tourists come to Britain precisely because of its rich history. Also you need to watch your punctuation, you have accidentally linked from my channel to a website in Norway. Please correct it.
In March this year, I saw that around 18 mature ( and healthy ) broad level trees had been felled on Daw Bank between the junction with Swaine St and the bridge under the A6. This was a sad loss as Stockport Centre isn't exactly flush with mature trees. Despite asking, no answer was forthcoming from the council. With the help of a Cheadle Hulme Councillor I was eventually contacted and given this less than satisfactory response: 'The trees have been removed in line with the planning permission for the new Interchange and whilst the early works packages are not due to start for a couple of months, it was necessary for TfGM to remove the trees ahead of the bird nesting season. A commitment was given through the planning process that for every one tree removed to enable the scheme at least two will be replanted in the new public park on the Interchange. I'm no tree hugging romantic with unrealistic notions, however I believe this was an unnecessary act. I support considered regeneration, and as per the commentary most of the proposals sound good, but I agree regarding the flat block. Must profit always be the motivation?
Yes, I noticed when those trees were cut down. Are you saying they should have delayed cutting them down? As I understand it they are standing on the site that will be covered by the new bus station and the oversized residential block behind it and so would need to be removed sooner or later. They say they are going to plant twice as many trees. There seem to be some in the new rooftop park. I'm not sure but many thanks for highlighting this issue.
@@AidanEyewitness There's no suggestion that they were felled illegally, in fact the opposite is the case. My concern was more about the necessity of their being felled. Their location was within the pavement area of Daw Bank. Unless this pavement is to dissappear, which I'd have thought unlikely, then the only explanation is that their spread was impacting the new structure. Mature trees require maintenance, and maintenance costs money, to say nothing of inconvenience. Too many trees are felled because the authorities and landowners don't wish to pay for their ongoing maintenance. Architects and builders dislike existing trees because they complicate the building process. They may well be planting twice as many trees nearby, but it will be decades before they become aesthetically beautiful mature trees, or beneficial as carbon collectors. In an age when tree planting is being encouraged for their accepted environmental and aesthetic benefit, it seems counter intuitive to have felled what we already had. In my view, Stockport is the poorer for their loss.
Many thanks for all the comments that have been submitted so far. Please keep commenting. I aim to reply to everyone (but don't quite manage it sometimes!)
Excellent. Stockport is my home town, moved away in 1983. Petition duly signed.
Many thanks for your support and nice to hear from people from Stockport who have moved away. I moved away - to the Middle East, but was glad to return!
Good to see you advocating for development that enhances a townscape. It's when people don't care that mistakes are allowed to go forward. I hope you and the others in Stockport who care about this issue will be successful in your campaign to stop the construction of this building blocking the view of the viaduct.
Many thanks for your support, even though you live far away and have never visited Stockport. It doesn’t matter, the issue of caring for our heritage is universal. Always great to hear from you :)
Stockport is in danger of becoming Manchester’s Croydon. Not a fate to wish on anywhere.
Now you've given me a couple of ideas for videos "IS STOCKPORT IN DANGER of becoming Manchester's Croydon?" and maybe "CROYDON - Does it deserve its reputation". I'd probably prefer to do the first one. I"ll think about it! Many thanks for your feedback.
I was on the gang that restored the viaduct 1980s loved doing it . Great sense of honour and proudness in your work on such a fabulous piece of Britain’s heritage . It looked great once finished especially lit up at night .
to be partially hidden by that is a disgrace.
Wow that's very interesting. I remember how it was, in fact you can see the state it was in in my black and white photos taken aruond 1984. It looked great when completed and with the floodlighting, but it has become weathered again. Maybe another renovation is needed before its 200th anniversary! I agree, hiding the viaduct and upsetting the panoramic view is an appalling decision. Many thanks for your comment!
Thanks Aidan for creating and posting a superb video highlighting the next carbuncle to disgrace Stockport. The part of the scheme to redevelop Weir Mill itself is very impressive and will bring back to life what is currently a decaying piece of the town’s heritage. It will also open up the adjacent riverside with tasteful walkways and cafes. The council own 2 thirds of the land the tower will be built on, as well as a large chunk of land diagonally opposite the mill on the west side of the viaduct. A straight land swap could have seen the tower built on the west side of the viaduct and much further away. This was proposed to the council but it was ignored and it seems many of the councillors who voted to approve the scheme were not made aware of the proposal. As the Victorian Society have objected to the scheme, on the basis of the tower causing harm to the views of the Grade II* listed viaduct, the scheme will need further approval from the Secretary of State (Michael Gove) of Levelling-up, Housing and Communities (the Ministry of Silly Titles). Bets on it will just get rubber stamped without a second thought. The cumulative effect of this tower, the to-be-constructed 19 storey bus station tower and the existing 1970s towers will be to completely ruin cherished views from the town centre of an iconic landmark, made famous by many artists and photographers, including L.S. Lowry.
Many thanks, I really wasn’t expecting ‘superb video’ I put it together fairly quickly and kept it shorter than my other videos. What you say is absolutely right. Of all the politicians to be deciding on the future of our town! :( Many thanks for your comment and kind words.
It's about time Stockport was brought upto date and this building will improve it,
Yes, I think the new transport interchange will have a positive effect overall.
Which clowns approved this, shame on them. Bet they don’t live in Stockport.
I don't know. We don't know who the people are who decided this. I've a horrible feeling they do live in Stockport but don't understand what's at stake.
With the history of Stockport Council I very much fear that this is now set in stone the council have made many many building mistakes over the years including the running down of the Market area they run rough shod over the general population of Stockport with the planning of the New Outlook allowing the covering up of the main landmark in Stockport and this development needs the council to put money up for it to be done it needs to be re addressed I think a lot of people want to see Weir Mill being put back into some kind of use but to build a huge block of flats in front of the viaduct is wrong imo
In Manchester there was a proposal to build a pair of 'tombstone' skyscraper on the former police station with, with the demolition of the Abercromby pub and the old police station facade. It was proposed by the 'footballers turned property developers'. There was a backlash and they reluctantly withdrew it. Another plan was developed. Still damaging but not as bad as the original one. As far as I'm aware, no work has started on the site. If there isn't a backlash, they'll go ahead but if there is, well, maybe they will see sense. We'll see. Many thanks for your comment!
I think your video was good - highlighting the positives as well as the negatives of these plans. I feel like I'm in a parrallel universe that these flats could possibly be built. It seems that they are being justified as the only way to make the proposals financially viable but surely there is an alternative. Enhancing one area shouldn't be at the detriment of another. The viaduct is so well loved and should be highlighted, not hidden.
Many thanks for your positive comment. I try to be balanced, but when something is wrong, it’s wrong. You are absolutely right and very well said.
Great video. As an ex-Stockport lad, I've lived in Christchurch, New Zealand for the last 15 years so I've had a fair bit of exposure to new build & city centre regeneration following the February 2011 earthquake in which a lot of our heritage buildings were lost. I've never forgotten my roots though and always keep myself up-to-speed with what's happening in and around Stockport. I saw a press article on this proposed new build and simply wondered which bunch of idiots would think that placing a building so close to the viaduct was actually a good idea - in any universe? Surely there are planning rules for this sort of thing? I hope they've done their sums too because from what I've seen, I reckon the ROI is going to take a bit of a hit with approximately 15-20% of the units on the east side of this building remaining unsold. Who the hell would pay premium prices to look at a brick wall and spend the their days in perpetual darkness? The aviator & aircraft designer Geoffrey de Havilland famously once said about aircraft designs that "If it doesn't look right, it isn't!". The same principle can be applied to all designs. This one is a shocker!
Thanks great to hear from you, so far away but still in contact with Stockport. I agree with your analysis 100%. You're right about the apartments on... it would be the west wide, facing the viaduct. The block stands on the east side and blocks the view from the town centre. I think they have somehow convinced themselves that the newbuild is acceptable. They are treating the site as if the viaduct wasn't there, in effect going back to pre-1840 times. We need to keep up the campaign, convince more people to sign the petition and more. Many thanks and greetings from Stockport across the miles!
650 trains a day cross the points noisily at the end of the viaduct day and night, so these new "executive`' [haha] flats would be ideal for the totally deaf.
@@AidanEyewitness of course it's the west side. I've been upside down for too long!!!!
@@LaveryTribe I often get east and west mixed up and sometimes north and south!
@@EarlRobo Yes, one of those freight trains with about 100 wagons (or so) pulled by a powerful diesel loco at full pelt first thing in the morning... who needs an alarm clock? I'm sure there would be some deep level vibration too. Plus, all those afternoon commuters staring from the train into your bedroom. Sounds great!
I couldn't agree more. The proposed apartments should not block the view of the Viaduct.
Glad to hear you agree with this. Many thanks for your support.
Great video but sadly we have to move with the times. The new bus station look amazing but I agree not to hide our viaduct we must all take a stand....
Many thanks for your positive comment. The new bus station will be a very welcome addition to Stockport and I look forward to using it, however a modern block in front and twice the height of the viaduct is not right! You're right, the more people take a stand, the greater the chance that a catastrophe can be averted.
The viaduct is an iconic symbol of Stockport and the valley created by the iceage or floods (whatever you believe) is the reason for its construction.
That's a long perspective but a very interesting one!
There is also a plan to build a new hospital for Stockport near the new interchange. Stepping hill hospital has a 95 million pound maintenece bill.
Yes, I've heard about that. It would be on the site of the car park and temporary bus station on Heaton Lane. I can't imagine how they would cram a whole hospital on that site without building to a height of many floors. I must investigate it. Many thanks for flagging this up!
@@AidanEyewitness I understand that the proposed town centre hospital might be a day-care type hospital facility, perhaps for just some specific treatments. This has been successful at the Withington Community Hospital on Nell Lane.
@@EarlRobo Thanks for that information. Yes, I know the hospital on Nell Lane, I once took a family member to the drop-in centre there. The facility would be in the town centre, in a convenient location. There is a hospital in the centre of Altrincham. Stepping Hill is the main hospital in the area ( I was born there!) but it's quite a drive from the town centre, or ride on the 192 bus!
Disgusting, just doesn’t fit with the area, what a completely stupid place to put it , just hope the plans get vetoed down the line. I do like the look of the new bus station, especially the roof garden. I really need to go to Stockport, keep meaning to go and it’s not difficult from Horwich, I want to get some photos of the old market and cobbled streets like Underbank. Not forgetting, and more urgently, the Viaduct.
Yes I love the new bus station, it will be really good. The Underbanks are very nice and the clock has been restored. The chimes will soon be working again. So it’s not all bad news. Many thanks for your comment
I found your channel quite recently and have watched many of the videos. As a fine art architectural photographer I'm very interested in architecture and planning (or lack of it). I have to agree with you about the new tower next to the viaduct. I'm wondering who might want to live there with constant noise and vibration from the very busy rail line. Stockport town centre is very badly in need of redevelopment but i sometimes despair of the lack of vision with these new projects. Whilst you seldom hear the words "town planning" and more often hear "development" - there is the problem. Its the wild west in pursuit of a quick buck. The developers laugh all the way to bank and everyone else has to put up with it. keep the videos coming.
Thanks very much for this message. I’ve just found your details on the SI PA contest site. Very interesting, you’ve done lots of stuff. To me it seems blindingly obvious that this is a bad place for a residential tower. Haven’t they seen those Veolia trains carrying smelly waste for recycling with over 30 trucks, pounding over the rails with a noisy diesel Loco at the top? What you’ve said is certainly true of the past, the 60s in the 70s. Is it still true today? We’ll just have to wait and see how things turn out. I personally think the bus interchange is going to be good. Many thanks, and plenty of videos about new developments and architecture in the pipeline, particularly Manchester where there is a hotspot. It’s like the Forth Bridge - once I’ve been around the city centre documenting progress, then I have to start again to catch up with all the new developments!
Born Stockport and lived there until 1985. That building would be visually horrendous.
I agree, but there are some councillors in Stockport Council who actually think it is a good think and will look attractive set against the viaduct. That's something I just can't understand. Many thanks for your comment.
@@AidanEyewitness So we visited 18/04/23. Thankfully nothing built right up to viaduct, but I note buildings both sides of the river now further obscuring the view from Mersey Sq. side. Just noticed the Travel Lodge too. The bear pit? I know it's next to construction work but in my entire life never seen it in such poor condition.
@@TonyWilliampianoman Yes, the bear pit has been in a poor condition for as long as I can remember. I hope they will renovate it as part of the bus station project. The two office blocks next to the river should never have been built. We just have to make the best of things. There are still plenty of great locations in Stockport.
Hi there I really hate what Stockport as done in the name of improvement ... It started when they knocked down the old building on Mersey square! I was only young yet it really upset me and still hate that they keep knocking down older buildings the worst new build is that monstrosity red rock every time I go
Passed it I cring! In fact it was classed as the worst building in Europe
I know exactly what you mean. You are referring to the old tramways building on Mersey Square, a magnificent building that should have been saved. in the 1960s however, the idea of saving old buildings - except for a few prominent ones - was largely seen as a joke and so it was demolished to make way for the Merseyway frontage. Despite more recent renovations, it can never replace the magnificent building from which trams once emerged. As for Redrock, in my experience, few buildings have been more criticised than this one. Stockport Council are also proposing to move the library out of the Stockport Central Library building into a new unit in the precinct. nearly 7500 have signed a petition against it. Sign here if you agree! you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-stockport-s-historic-central-library Many thanks for your comment.
I'm all for progress but this is outrageous. How the hell did they ever get planning for it? Surely it can't go ahead.
The tall residential block is now under construction right next to the viaduct. I make it about 5 metres or 15 feet away from the edge of the viaduct.
Great video. This proposed carbuncle block tower block of flats will be almost twice as high as the viaduct and totally ruin the best view in Stockport. An alternative brownfield site was proposed two years ago but on the east side of the viaduct, on King Street West which would be adjacent to their planned smaller almost identical second tower block, which would match each other symbiotically. This proposal has been totally ignored by the developer and SMBC. Most of the councillors who recently voted in favour of the 14 storey tower block which will almost touch the viaduct on its east side, had not been made aware of this alternative proposal when they voted it through. This solution would have perfectly resolved this problem.
I just cannot understand how any councillor, whose job it is to make the best choices for Stockport, could approve something as devastating as this tower. It really feels to me personally like a kick in the teeth, as I have been an admirer of the viaduct since I was at primary school at Our Lady's, just next to the station. I will have to look at that thing every time I go along Wellington Road and every time I cross the viaduct on a train. There will be no getting away from it. With other factors it's the sort of thing that would want you to leave Stockport and go and live somewhere else but I'm not at that stage yet! Many thanks for your support.
I think the viaduct is a carbuncle.
@@davidsivills3599 Well I love railway viaducts in general - Ribblehead, Harringworth. Pont du Gard in France. Stockport viaduct needs some renovation however.
@@AidanEyewitness
Simple, they go with the money! They don’t represent us. At the end of the day, it will probably look alright when it is finished and the debris cleared away. There is still a great view of the viaduct from the other side, particularly from B+Q’s car park! The Weir mill was in desperate need of refurbishment, it had become a real eyesore. But the May elections are coming up and we can indicate what we think in our vote. You know who runs the Council - the Lib Dems along with Labour!
Living so close too viaduct would be hell surely because of the trains ? Horrible looking monstrosity as well , money wins most of the time as we all know.
Yes, I really don't think the architects have thought this through properly. There are quite a few freight trains with a noisy diesel loco and 30+ carriages. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have that going past your bedroom window several times a day!
@@AidanEyewitness Ever seen the Blues Brothers ? Elwood's crappy micro room right next too railway exactly same as this. Unless sound proofing and anti vibration tech is so cheap......Hahaha😂
@@thecovidprisoner Not seen that. Must take a look.
I am totally against the proposals of both tower blocks, out of place, and not wanted by a lot of people in the town..the block at the new interchange(?). is disgraceful, and should be no higher than the Hat Museum alongside..The block at the Weir mill project is a blot on the landscape, and why so close to the viaduct,and higher than the structure the council use in promoting the town., sounds like money is what talks and the opnions of the towns people do not matter.....I agree the mill should be utilised, so make that into flats/apartments, and forget about the monstrosity alongside.The structures would fit in better in Manchester or Salford Quays, but NOT in the middle of a town..I also agree we needed a new bus station, but the planners missed the opportunity when Grand Central was demolished next to the railway station, the ideal location for bus taxi,train..and tram(which we are still waiting for it to arrive after 20yrs)..that is a proper interchnage,not the one now being being built..but it seems retail/offices and a hotel are more important to the council planners,rather than a fully intergrated transport interchange..The new transport hub is NOT an interchange, it will remain a bus station, until(or if) the trams arrive..and even then its still 1/4 mile away from one of the busiest railway stations in South Manchester..The planners have lost the plot, and maybe the as a result, and all the objections raised by the public, will make sure the council lose not only the plot,their jobs at the next elections..feelings are high about these proposals, and a lot of people welcome a new bus station, but NOT the monstrosities planned in the vicinity..I enjoyed your video..and the fact you have highlighted a contraversial subject on behalf of the people of the Stockport.
Thanks very much for your comment and positive feedback. I think you made some very good points there. The apartment building on top of the bus station is considered by many to be oversized, but I understand that the project is partly funded through the residential buildings. Still it should not be a compromise between an ugly oversize block and having a proper transport facility. As for the block in front of the viaduct, there’s nothing more to be said about it. It is going to have dire consequences and will be around for a very long time, long after the decision-makers who put it there have gone from office. As for having the transport interchange on the Grand Central site, I think that might have been difficult from the point of view of access. There is a McDonald’s there and it also often generates gridlock at peak times. Also it would be difficult to get the tram up such a steep gradient I think. Still it’s a good point. The distance of the station to the town centre has always been a problem. There will be the pedestrian walkway which is probably the best that can be offered under the circumstances. A moving walkway like at Manchester Airport would be good, but no doubt not feasible and probably frequently out of order, like the ones at the airport. So thanks again for sharing your thoughts, every thoughtful and positive contribution gratefully received!
I moved away from Stockport in 2002, and I hate seeing what they've done with the place whenever I get back up there. I appreciate times move on, but I miss the old town of my youth.
Thanks, there certainly was bad planning in the past but these days things in Stockport are getting better - I'm going to do a video about it soon.
Need a lot doing to it the new bus station and the three flats one new the ones at mill. The mill is became dangerous my sister used to work in the mill and say the floor moves the viaduct you will still see it from the A6 and you can walk to a different place to see it
Work has started on renovating the mill. It was derelict for many years so I’m not surprised it was dangerous. I am a photographer and the tall block ruins the view of the viaduct. No one is going to hang a print of the magnificent early Victorian railway viaduct on their wall with a modern block of flats stuck in front of it! Interested to hear your sister worked at the mill. Many thanks for your comment and for watching the video and apologies for the long delay in replying.
My god, what were they thinking? Hideous looking building that is so close to the viaduct that anyone in the lower couple of floors facing the viaduct will be up close and personal with a wall of bricks a few feet away from their panoramic windows. You have to presume that someone in a suit is ok with this. Or maybe this may be the first of several other blocks that could eventually fill in that area in front of the viaduct. No sense of form, no sense of aesthetics, no sense of history. No sense of shame. No sense at all.
I couldn't have put it better myself. Placing a block so close to a historic railway viaduct to my mind is utterly unthinkable on so many levels. I think there was a breakdown in the design process. They decided a tall block was necessary. That was the only part of the site where it could be built so they just decided to stick it there, ignoring the fact that a railway viaduct crosses the site. On the ground plans, the railway viaduct is not so obvious. Maybe they just forgot it's there and then once they'd completed the plans it was too late. Maybe the people who designed it have never visited Stockport. They didn't want to admit their mistake and lose face. That's just me speculating. If it goes ahead as planned, this planning mistake will cause huge problems for Stockport over the coming decades. I'm not looking forward to the 200th anniversary.
🏭👍
Thanks!
Thanks for your really interesting and informative video. I'm an architect, and I appreciate your balanced assessment of these proposals. Credit where credit is due on the bus station design, but you are absolutely right about the Capital and Centric's tower proposal bang up against the viaduct. What an aberration. Impractical in design terms, but most importantly it would irreparably deface an iconic piece of 19thC townscape. I've signed the petition too.
Many thanks and good to hear from an architect - As a child I was interested in becoming an architect but I had difficulty with Maths!- Anyway I'm glad to hear your confirmation that the block is absolutely wrong and very damaging in this location. It seems bizarre that they would place it so close and make it so high. Surely it would have been possible to place it at a distance and perhaps give it more width and less height. Capital and Centric have done good work in other locations, such as Kampus in Manchester. I don't know what lapse took place to allow this monstrosity to go ahead. I think there are going to be problems due to vibration, noise and lighting issues. When the Avanti West Coast goes by a whole trainload of people looking into your living room and when one of those waste trains with 30 cars full of smelly waste, especially if both lines ahead are blocked, it's not exactly what you want in your back yard. They've started preliminary work on the site. Very sad. Thanks for your contribution, much appreciated.
I’ve visited RHS Bridgewater Gardens on a few occasions since they opened and so drive through this impressive structure. It’s good that it’s being valued by the local community. What’s the latest on the developments around it?
You mean Stockport railway viaduct? The construction projects are moving ahea and I will be featuring them I think in my next video. The bus interchange is taking shape, the intrusive residential block in front of the viaduct has not yet appeared.
wonderfull! goes perfect with redrock!
Ah I can see you are a big fan of Redrock! (For those that don’t know, the cinema/leisure complex/car park in Stockport widely considered a carbuncle)
🤣👌
@@AidanEyewitness i was looking forward to sun alliance eventually being pulled, and we could see our viaduct. And even a restored century mill.. i dont mind the station, but the block is just another prefab eye sore to hide our heritage imho ofc.... lowery will be turning in his cenotaph.
@@captaindarling1509 That is a very good point. Our towns and cities are the inspiration for art, such as by LS Lowry and Trevor Grimshaw. But imagine putting a big rectangular block in the middle of one of their works of art depicting the viaduct, we can see just how unphotogenic it is, and I think, very disrespectful. I predict there will be problems with that building in the future… Many thanks for your comment!
@@AidanEyewitness thanks for taking time to reply, and yes that photo of lowry at the top of the steps down to the station with the viaduct and brinksway estate, was almost reclaimed somewhat lol im almost 50 and i almost remember the back to backs that were still around. when stockport was a port / hub for the coal and cotton i think its about time kids were taught stockport once was a bustling place with people living in it.lol portwood brinksway heaton norris and lanky hill estates all close back to backs, next to their factory's, all gone ..so many people back then.,,,so may pigeons!... and before that at its hight, land of 100 halls, before the industrial revolution, stockport in those 1740's new back to backs ( demolished between (1950 - 85ish) and the new factory's going up, people in horse and carts and parasol umbrellas, a posh wealthy affluent hub. constantly full of people , yet they just want to bury it or hide it! (council / corps) .. maybe one day they will excavate tiviot dale station, or open Heaton Norris shelters on dodge hill., find the Portwood shelters again near the tannery ... or just maybe see the potential of stockport canal actualy being restored, its all their, buiried, loads of narrowboat housing potential. while actually preserving our heritage ..
or we could... put up another fkn 25 year eyesore blocking our viaduct.. or bang another stupid junction under the godawfull galvanised ranp next to the prefab cinema than induces levels of autism whenever anyone drives next to it...on what has to be the ugliest places on earth. how tiviot dale has changed....definition of utterly fkd im laughing ,, but its not looking good m8.... and where are the fkn pigeons? i remember in primary their was always a kid a week with a black eye from some little fkr from the flats dare stomp near them once,,, it was like a Hitchcock scene.....oh, ofc, we dont have chippies in stockpot now, forgot lol mark my words, the last originality to mersyway will go next, and another eyesore on the footprint of the george and dragon pub.
Subbed, thank you for the video!
Thanks for subscribing!
I fear it is too late. Planning has been granted and I have no confidence that the SOS will overturn this
With any protest campaign, you can't give up hope, you've got to keep highlighting it. If enough people protest and make their voices heard, then it is possible for it to be overturned. I've been involved with similar protests in Manchester, some have succeeded some haven't. Many thanks for your comment!
@@AidanEyewitness It would be amazing if it was overturned. It will be a bl**dy eye sore. You would think the planners would have learned by now but sadly they seem to be as unenlightened now as they were in the 1960s. It is a great video by the way.
We have had a similar mistake in Oldham at Mumps.
The railway bridge was a landmark and built in stone; needed a cleaning, that’s all.
But we were told for the Metro to use it , was too steep a gradient, so was demolished for the trams to run across the main town bye-pass; a dual carriageway that needed a multi traffic light system, which had not been previously been so complicated, or dangerous with the steel in-set rails for cycles and motor cycles.
Within 2 years there was a re-routing of the Metro and now it engages far steeper inclines than the bridge ever did !
We lost an iconic and unique structure and I often wonder who got all that stone ?
And how did Sainsbury’s know that they would’ve gained a tram stop directly outside their newly-located store, in the re-planning ?
I wonder……….
@@septerverius2 It's a flawed system and it seems the people making the decisions about our heritage have no interest in it or awareness of it. Many thanks for your favourable comment. I really did have a heavy heart as it's not very inspiring to have to spend time and effort protesting against bad decisions. I was going to make it longer but I thought, no, I'll just keep it short and to the point. So I'm pleased you think it's a great video. Please also watch my Stockport Dawn to Dusk video, which is partly a tribute to the viaduct. ua-cam.com/video/Bt_FLIrDe_4/v-deo.html
@@AidanEyewitness I worked in the SMBC Architects Department between 1974 and 1977. A number of the architects sat overlooking the viaduct and had binoculars on the window cill. We had a great view of the railway and when a diesel went over the bins would come out to spot the number. That view will now be ruined like a smile with a missing tooth.
I heartily agree with your statements in this video. What are your thoughts on the current central library situation and the proposal of ‘the stockroom’ in Mersey Square?
I am aware of them but I need to study them in more detail. I don't like the idea of abandoning the library. It was given to Stockport by the Carnegie foundation, it should continue in its original use as a public amenity. I've used it a lot, the local studies area is superb.
Stockport bus station may not have been the most attractive, but its sad to see it go as its been here all my life. Having said that, I'm looking forward to seeing the progress of Stockport Interchange
I know what you mean. Something is part of your life, even though it's not the most exciting or attractive place. Peoples' feelings and memories are attached to familiar locations and when those locations disappear, it's almost like a part of your childhood is gone. Still, I think the new interchange is going to be great. Demolition work on the old station has now started. Many thanks!
I wonder why they get it wrong over and over again. The curse of British town planners.
Yes, sadly, very true. The mistakes in Stockport go back decades. Stockport could have a much more attractive and thriving town centre if those mistakes hadn't been made.
@@AidanEyewitness A lack of civic pride possibly linked to a highly centralised UK govt. which means a lack of shared national identity. Who knows? Really enjoy your videos none the less. 🙂
I think it got destroyed 60 years ago when they built a shit shopping center over it all. I'm more worried that you can't drive through the center according to the plans. Great. even more traffic to sit in
Well at least they built a new road from Wellington Rd North under the viaduct to Travis Brow. I remember the shopping centre being built on top of the ‘road on stilts’ built over the River Mersey in the 1930s.
Only 5k names is not going to stop this. Come on Stockport, you can do much better than this?
That's a problem, signature numbers, they are never enough. Only people who are aware, connected and committed will usually sign a petition. But 99 more people who broadly agree with the petition won't get to sign for various reasons. It means politicans can ignore it. Only when you have very large numbers can politicians take notice. But the local elections are coming up soon, that has a more direct effect than a petition. Who knows what will happen in Stockport?
Labour & Lib Dem governance
Hmmm, but which party or parties would handle it any better, I wonder?
Makes no difference
You should build housing or you'll end up like san Francisco
Shortage of housing leads to high rents and house prices. At least new apartments are being created in the projects in Stockport.
@@AidanEyewitness san francisco passed laws that banned any buildings that blocked views of the water which greatly contributed to its housing crisis
Um ehrlich zu sein, alles ist besser, als die verlassenen Lagerhallen, die im Moment dort sind. imo
Ja, das stimmt schon, aber ein Gebäude, das zweimal so hoch ist wie der Viadukt, das auch die Ansicht teilweise blockiert, das find ich nicht gut! Vielen Dank für den Kommentar auf Deutsch!
@@AidanEyewitness kein Problem. I do get your point.
@@christiandengler6689 Many thanks!
I think personally there should be something in place around Stockport, where if you want to build it has to blend with the surrounding buildings, as a modern council and generation we have destroyed Stockport's history and it's beautiful buildings destroyed for new horrible shit, everything they got rid of i.e house's we now need it's a joke, I just wish they kept everything the same from the war era that's when everything was smart
You are right, a lot of Stockport's unique character was lost in the 1960s. One example is the old tramway building on Mersey Square. The shopping centre built over the river was revolutionary, but the design left a lot to be desired. It was remodelled in later years. I'm not sure if all the buildings could have been kept, some were in a bad state, but too many viable buildings were destroyed. I also dislike those two 1960w office blocks west of the town centre that block the views of the viaduct. They should never have been built. Many thanks for your comment.
i think they build it any ways look at red rock carpark voted the worst looking building in the uk ever its not about what it looks like to them its all about money money just for once i hope they think about how are town looks and we ha hatters town even are foodball club respects it by being known as stockport hatters insted of cover it up why not show off are history and be proud of what we have insted of change change i mean the money could go for better use like the homeless and others in need if it ant broke why fix it
Some very good points there! I agree it's important to show off our history and celebrate the town's heritage. A modern block stuck up against the viaduct and spoiling a view that has been there since 1840 is not the best way to do it. Many thanks for your comment.
You can't live in the past,britain is modernising and looking better for it.No one wants to live in a museum.
Appreciating and caring for our heritage and safeguarding it for future generations is not living in the past. Millions of tourists come to Britain precisely because of its rich history. Also you need to watch your punctuation, you have accidentally linked from my channel to a website in Norway. Please correct it.
In March this year, I saw that around 18 mature ( and healthy ) broad level trees had been felled on Daw Bank between the junction with Swaine St and the bridge under the A6. This was a sad loss as Stockport Centre isn't exactly flush with mature trees. Despite asking, no answer was forthcoming from the council. With the help of a Cheadle Hulme Councillor I was eventually contacted and given this less than satisfactory response:
'The trees have been removed in line with the planning permission for the new Interchange and whilst the early works packages are not due to start for a couple of months, it was necessary for TfGM to remove the trees ahead of the bird nesting season. A commitment was given through the planning process that for every one tree removed to enable the scheme at least two will be replanted in the new public park on the Interchange.
I'm no tree hugging romantic with unrealistic notions, however I believe this was an unnecessary act. I support considered regeneration, and as per the commentary most of the proposals sound good, but I agree regarding the flat block. Must profit always be the motivation?
Yes, I noticed when those trees were cut down. Are you saying they should have delayed cutting them down? As I understand it they are standing on the site that will be covered by the new bus station and the oversized residential block behind it and so would need to be removed sooner or later. They say they are going to plant twice as many trees. There seem to be some in the new rooftop park. I'm not sure but many thanks for highlighting this issue.
@@AidanEyewitness There's no suggestion that they were felled illegally, in fact the opposite is the case. My concern was more about the necessity of their being felled. Their location was within the pavement area of Daw Bank. Unless this pavement is to dissappear, which I'd have thought unlikely, then the only explanation is that their spread was impacting the new structure. Mature trees require maintenance, and maintenance costs money, to say nothing of inconvenience. Too many trees are felled because the authorities and landowners don't wish to pay for their ongoing maintenance. Architects and builders dislike existing trees because they complicate the building process. They may well be planting twice as many trees nearby, but it will be decades before they become aesthetically beautiful mature trees, or beneficial as carbon collectors. In an age when tree planting is being encouraged for their accepted environmental and aesthetic benefit, it seems counter intuitive to have felled what we already had. In my view, Stockport is the poorer for their loss.