Memorial Art Gallery, Stockport, previously unlisted and now listed at grade II*
Listing
AHP has completed some major list review projects. The most extensive was for Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, where over three years AHP undertook a review of listed buildings in three committee areas: Tame Valley, including Reddish; Victoria, covering most of central Stockport, and the Heatons, a large suburban area north of the Mersey.
New research and site assessments were used to draft more detailed list descriptions for many listed buildings with weak entries and to recommend new listings. The project was undertaken in consultation with the Heritage Protection Team at English Heritage and our work has resulted in a wave of new listings for Stockport. Notable new listings include several pubs at Grade II, the 1925 Memorial Art Gallery at Grade II* (previously not listed) and the upgrading of the Edwardian baroque Town Hall to Grade II* from Grade II.
The project also resulted in an enlarged Local List for Stockport, to include historic buildings of local interest, the best of which were recommended for national designation. Vulnerable building types such as pubs, places of worship and industrial buildings (textile mills, hat works and breweries) were covered. The Local List is backed-up by a policy in the UDP.
The review also contributed to the Council’s programme of conservation area appraisals and areas with strong groups of local list buildings were put forward for designation as new conservation areas, such as Cale Green.