Both the Council and Muse have secured £4.2m of funding from the government’s Getting Building Fund to unlock the site and bring forward the next phase of the scheme.

This will include a 64,000 sq ft Grade A office building, along with a 400-space multi-storey car park, featuring electric vehicle charging points, solar photovoltaics and a green ‘living’ wall.

21st century multi-storey car park includes solar panels , EV charging points and a green wall to combat air pollution and soften its appearance

So far the wider £145m Stockport Exchange transformation has delivered a 115-bedroom Holiday Inn Express, a 1,000-space NCP multi-storey car park, two office buildings totalling 120,000 sq ft with ground-floor retail, sat within extensive public realm.

Tom Webber, senior development surveyor at Muse, said: “Reaching the latest milestone in the Stockport Exchange story and receiving this funding boost from the government’s Getting Building fund highlights confidence in our collective long-term vision for the scheme and is an endorsement of our commitment to investing in Stockport and the wider Greater Manchester to create places that creates jobs and improves employment opportunities to the  local community in the town.”

Cllr Elise Wilson, leader of Stockport Council, said: “Stockport Exchange has gone from strength to strength, attracting major businesses such as BASF and its success is testament to the hard work and commitment of everyone involved.”

Once complete, the wider Stockport Exchange development will have delivered up to 375,000 sq ft of office space and 28,000 sq ft of commercial floor space.