BUILDING BOOM STOCKPORT BUS STN & WEIR MILL | Progress report July 23

In this update of AidanEyewitness, I take a look at the Stockport Interchange and Weir Mill construction sites, next to Stockport railway viaduct, checking on progress and making some observations.
0:00 Introduction
0:50 Interchange, tower and footbridge
01:24 Weir Mill
02:38 Interchange from the south west
03:07 Weir Mill tall tower 253 new 'gaffs'?
03:47 Lively Little Underbank
04:15 Market Place and Hall
06:07 "All things are possible if you believe"
07:05 New tower Wellington Rd with 'winter gardens'
07:52 Mersey Square old fire station
08:50 Stockport Interchange under construction from Wellington Rd South
We take some time out to look at the historic old town of Stockport along lively Little Underbank and around the Market Place, before returning to the bus interchange, which is set to open around spring 2024. Capital&Centrix's Weir Mill development is also set for completion during 2024. Are they going to be a success? And what about that tall residential tower now under construction, that will reach over twice the height of the viaduct, which is only 15 feet away from it. Answers in the comments.
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I originally included the words "from sow's ear to silk purse" in the video title but changed it to 'construction update'

[@Paul-eb4jp]

Looks really good thanks for the update, the old town gets better every time I visit.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, I think it does, it's getting better all the time (to quote the Beatles!)

[@ians3586]

Excellent video Aidan. Loved the fade out shots that highlighted the small features that give Stockport character. Gaff vs. gaffe - what an astute observation. The marketing team really need you as a consultant. It would certainly save them some embarrassment.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I've heard other people say they like the use of 'gaffe' but for me as a language teacher, it's discriminatory. You're using a word that is intended to exclude those that don't understand it. What would non-native speaker or maybe a US citizen make of the word 'gaffe'. I don't think Capital & Centric would rate my opinion very highly, as I've also criticised their decision to build a tower that blocks the view of the historic viaduct and is uncomfortably close to a busy railway line for passengers and freight! Many thanks for your comment!

[@minimeee04]

Hopefully there going to clean up the Viaduct. Its about time Stockport has had some meaningful investment.

[@AidanEyewitness]

The viaduct was cleaned some years go. It will be more difficult to do now that the new tower block is standing right in front of it. I haven't heard of any plans to clean it, but it would be a good idea for its 200th anniversary in 2040.

[@TheOrdnanceKing]

A year or two ago I did a small rant about the changes, and destruction of the history, and that stunningly beautiful red rock development... (I jest ofc!) and I said pretty soon they will demolish the old George and dragon, the last original building...ups and downs going to rack and ruin ,, is it so much to preserve at least some of the old character of mersey way a6.. now their building a pedestrian only estate over the old brinksway estate to, I do hope they at least keep the old civic buildings in the middle, but it’s doubtful, no idea how they get these permits through, the wastage is incredible, why demo most of grand central.. renovated with lottery cash from sidings at huge cost, old Stockport village behind plaza, again renovated with lottery money, only to be demolished. We have a bad track record it seems for wasting money on pointless ideas. Their developing cycle and pedestrian areas... with 0 cycle ways being built to link to the main ones, we have 0 cycling and pedestrian infrastructure ever tried cycling to Manchester? You’d be lucky to make it without buckling a wheel down a grid 4 inches below road level, how about putting in under path storm drains in the curb, so cycling isn’t a danger to the cyclists, naaaa we can paint a line, and let them fall down cast iron Victorian grids.the only place they actualy developed any pedestrian / cycling ways, was Lancashire hill... you can cycle up and down their quite safely, ofc no1 uses it.... it goes nowhere! And penny lane is shorter...but that can remain derelict.... just stupidity! And waste...but ye, lets turn old brinksway into a pedestrian cycling zone... for who? No parking only rooftop gardens... I cycle a lot. Stockport utterly blows goat for cycling. And pedestrians. Manchester and their under pathment storm drains ofc has lots. It’s like building car parks with no roads...we need the basics (the spokes) of alternative transport, before hubs are developed.oh, I forgot the stretch of cycle path on st Mary’s way to hill gate ...ofc it again goes nowhere, starts at pure gym and finishes at offerton rd crossroads, the rest is pathless duel carriageway,, again pointless. And now it looks like their cooking about near the old and famous Lowery steps down to the bus station, all this, yet grab a metal detector and go to a field on the vale you will be shot!...

[@AidanEyewitness]

Many thanks, you raise many valid points. I know the cycle path down Merseyway. I use the cycle pathside roads around Cheadle, I find them very good. I will be doing one more update on Stockport before they open the new transport interchange later this yeat.

[@spankysmp]

Great video - always had a soft spot for Stockport as it was easier getting the bus from Didsbury than going to Town in school holidays etc with my Mum and Sister. I must take a ride up there and see how it's looking for myself. Thanks for the upload AEW

[@AidanEyewitness]

That's great, many thanks! I really appreciate your comment!

[@paulmason6474]

Would comment when all this is complete. Like Underbank seems to be buzzing.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, well I plan to be there on the opening day. I never saw Underbank as busy as that it the past. Thanks for your comment, you’re very reliable!

[@Paul-eb4jp]

I was talking to one of the bar owners recently on Underbank, he said it was far busier than he'd expected but his bills had gone through the roof, we really need to support these independent businesses if we want them to survive.

[@gohumberto]

The market hall may look photogenic against a blue sky but I never got to see that, as I only lived in Stockport 28 years :-) Good work, keep it up. I like to see my old home town developing and improving ... especially the overlooked for decades Underbanks and Marketplace.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, I went away from Stockport but returned. I think it's a very nice place to live and the town centre is improving! Many thanks.

[@JohnnyZenith]

Good to see another video from you in Greater Manchester. More please! Really like that they used gaffs. Little Underbank is lovely! I had no idea. Stockport is not ugly at all. I recently went to a town outside Madrid. Really ugly. This is far from that. My American friend just watched it and is in love. Oh and I like that they used to term gaff. Why not? I am even going to watch this again. I'd love to see you do more Manchester videos.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Well I’m going to do lots more Manchester videos but I will continue to do videos about Liverpool. I hope to streamline the video-making process so I can post more frequently. Many thanks for your comments!

[@tommcmanamon8327]

What a pity that there is no tram link to the new bus / train station development.

[@AidanEyewitness]

It is hoped that the tram route can be extended from East Didsbury along the old railway line - or around it. Unfortunately part of it was built on, making it hugely more expensive than if they had left the line 'mothballed'. I am confident that a solution will be found and the tram will arrive in Stockport before too long, providing a quick link to south Didsbury, Chorlton and Stretford.

[@TheOrdnanceKing]

Oh,,, mersyway was a bypass once. Ppl don’t even know this, so the bypass comes out of roads budget, for nessasary modern infrastructure then a few years later somehow they manage to build a private shopping center on top. Never mind, motorists can use the old road instead... only now, you can’t drive up to the a6, without going all the way to the pyramid roundabout and doubling back up the quick save bypass. It’s a joke who’s receiving these back handers

[@AidanEyewitness]

Yes, I remember as I was a small child my dad showing the new shopping precinct when it opened and we went round to see the stilts supporting it above the river. Yes, Merseyway was built on a road, more of a 'through-pass' than a by-pass. Many thanks!

[@TheOrdnanceKing]

Simple task, drive from great port wood street, to the A6 at 4pm, Are you gonna go up st Mary’s way to hill gate and down the a6, how long will that take you... or how about tiviot dale, lanky hill through Heaton Norris and down a6, how long will that take, we need a round about at decathlon / b+q just to make that run tolerable at peak times. But no, they just scam motorists for turning down a new and badly posted pedestrian change. And block the most effective route for traffic onto the a-6,,,, instead directing to congested motorway infrastructure. Just dumbfuckery my bi-annual rant is over lol. Love ur stuff m8, I’m now going to sit in traffic next to a road we can only look at while cars come off the a-6 to congest a road that was deemed to be insufficient in the 60’s when the mersyway bypass was built... and look at the beautiful artistic heritage of the fkn Redrock eyesore for a hour 😆🔨 hers a thought... make mersyway way into a bypass as it was at the start, so u can easily navigate the town, rather than trying to regenerate a shopping center we have little to no use for now. Or reopen princess st to peak hour traffic.or extend the lights to the top of the car park road and let us get up to a6 their... no... direct traffic to the most congested places, and longest routs makes complete sense.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Thanks for the positive feedback and for sharing your thoughts

[@spankysmp]

I know it's not your fault but gave up watching this - two sets of adverts within 3.5 minutes. Ridiculous.

[@AidanEyewitness]

Many thanks indeed for letting me know, I’ll take a look and see if I can change the settings.

[@AidanEyewitness]

I've changed the ad breaks from 4 to 3 and switched off non-skippable ads. Hopefully, you'll be able to watch this now. Thanks again for this very valuable feedback the first time anyone has commented on ads. :)

[@spankysmp]

@@AidanEyewitness Thanks - I'll take a look again. I appreciate anyone that takes the trouble to upload interesting videos such as this and realise the hard work which goes into them and a little recompense is surely welcome for a creator. As I mentioned, I blame KZbin!