Key Points
- A joint group of local entrepreneurs, Compstall Mill 2025, has made an outline planning application to Stockport Council for the development of the disused Compstall Mill site into a residential area with a maximum of 141 units.
- The four-acre plot on Andrew Street, Compstall, bordering Etherow Country Park, was bought at auction last year from Euro Property Investments.
- Victoria Mill will be transformed into 39 apartments, and the Gatehouse into six apartments; the fire-damaged Albert Mill will be demolished to make way for a structure with 48 apartments.
- An additional small apartment building will house six apartments, while 41 houses will be situated on Andrew Street and along the River Etherow.
- There will be enhancement to the public realm and better connectivity between the site, Andrew Street, and Etherow Country Park.
- This is an outline planning application which comes nearly 20 years after the previous plan proposed by Ask Developments for 122 homes and 25,000 sq ft of commercial units in 2008.
- Woodford Land and Planning is consulting for the joint venture and Buju Architects is designing the project.
- The planning reference number is DC/100094 and the planning application is described as outline with all matters reserved.
Stockport (Manchester Mirror) October 15, 2026 – Plans have been submitted to transform the crumbling Compstall Mill complex into a 141-home residential development, reviving a long-delayed regeneration opportunity beside Etherow Country Park.
As reported by Dan Whelan of Place North West, Compstall Mill 2025 has lodged an outline application with Stockport Council for the partial demolition, refurbishment and redevelopment of the historic mill site. The scheme would deliver up to 141 homes through a combination of heritage conversions, replacement apartment buildings and new-build housing.
The company’s directors are Sarah Jackson, Michael Clark, Philip Newton and Thomas Simpson. They acquired the four-acre site off Andrew Street at auction last year from Euro Property Investments, with the stated intention of revitalising the dilapidated 19th-century industrial complex.
What Is Proposed for Compstall Mill?
The application proposes new homes along Andrew Street alongside the conversion of retained mill buildings into apartments. According to Place North West, Victoria Mill would become 39 apartments, while the Gatehouse would be converted into six apartments.
Albert Mill, which has been damaged by arson, is proposed for demolition and replacement with a new building containing 48 flats. A further six flats would be created in a smaller new-build apartment block.
The remaining 41 homes would be houses fronting Andrew Street and the River Etherow. In total, the scheme would provide 141 homes: 93 apartments across the converted and replacement buildings, plus 41 houses and six flats in the smaller new-build block.
The plans also include areas of public realm and improved connections through the site, linking Etherow Country Park with Andrew Street.
Who Is Behind the Plans?
Compstall Mill 2025 is described by Place North West as a group of local business owners. The consortium acquired the site with the aim of bringing the neglected complex back into use.
Woodford Land and Planning is advising the consortium, while Stockport-based Buju Architects is leading on design.
Buju Architects previously described the concept as a sustainable masterplan blending mill-conversion apartments with new-build homes around a new public heart. The practice said the site had been allocated in the council’s local plan and that it had received positive initial feedback on its approach to conservation and design quality, while noting that the design remained subject to change.
Earlier reporting by Marketing Stockport said the architects had proposed repurposing existing 19th-century buildings alongside new riverside homes, heritage gardens and new pedestrian routes connecting with Etherow Country Park.
Why Has the Site Remained Derelict?
The latest plans arrive nearly two decades after a previous regeneration attempt failed to progress. In 2008, Ask Developments announced proposals to redevelop Compstall Mills with 122 apartments and houses and 25,000 sq ft of commercial space, but the project did not go ahead.
Place North West describes the current mill complex as dilapidated, while the application itself seeks permission for partial demolition, refurbishment and redevelopment.
The site’s condition has also been shaped by fire damage. Place North West reports that Albert Mill was arson-damaged and is proposed for demolition.
What Has Changed Since Earlier Proposals?
Earlier this year, the consortium’s emerging proposals were reported as delivering up to 135 homes. Place North West reported in May that a hybrid application was anticipated later in the summer, with full permission to be sought for enabling works including demolition, drainage and development platforms, alongside outline consent for a wider masterplan.
The newly submitted outline application now refers to up to 141 residential units. Planning data reported by Plota states that the application was registered on September 28, 2026, under reference DC/100094 for the partial demolition, refurbishment and redevelopment of Compstall Mills.
Stockport Nub News previously reported that the scheme could provide around 135 to 139 units and include a memorial commemorating the site’s history. The final application now reports a total of 141 homes.
The Manchester Evening News reported in May that Woodford Land and Planning, acting for Compstall Mill 2025 Limited, was progressing plans to “bring the historically important site back into productive use” ahead of a planning application later in the year.
At that stage, it was suggested that Noah House, Victoria Mill and Albert House could become apartments, while new-build homes could be built alongside the River Etherow and Andrew Street. The final application instead proposes demolition of the arson-damaged Albert Mill and its replacement with a 48-flat building.
What Happens Next?
The application is now with Stockport Council. Place North West directs interested parties to search for reference DC/100094 on the council’s planning portal.
Because the application is outline with all matters reserved, detailed design, layout, scale, appearance, access and landscaping would be considered at a later stage if the principle of development is approved.
Compstall is listed by Stockport Council as a conservation area, which the Manchester Evening News noted gives the area protections under planning law to preserve its character.
Background of the Development
Compstall Mill is a 19th-century industrial complex in Compstall, near Romiley in Stockport. Stockport Nub News reported that the mill dates back to 1830 and once housed cotton mill workers, although the site has since become abandoned.
The complex sits beside Etherow Country Park and is bounded by Andrew Street, the River Etherow and the park’s reservoir. Marketing Stockport described the site as an approximately 4.7-acre L-shaped plot.
Compstall Mill 2025 Limited took control of the site in May, according to Stockport Nub News, after acquiring it at auction the previous year.
The developers said in earlier consultation material that they wanted to bring the historically important site back into productive use and engage with residents, stakeholders and Stockport Council before submitting a formal planning application.
Prediction: What It Could Mean for Local Residents
For Compstall residents, the proposal could bring a long-vacant and deteriorating heritage site back into active use, while adding new homes and improving walking connections to Etherow Country Park. If approved, the scheme would also remove the arson-damaged Albert Mill and replace it with new residential accommodation.
Local homeowners and prospective buyers may see increased interest in the area if the development proceeds, particularly given its riverside setting and proximity to the country park. However, the eventual effect on local services, traffic, parking and the conservation area would depend on the detailed proposals considered by Stockport Council at the reserved-matters stage.
For planning observers and heritage campaigners, the key issue will be how the scheme balances new housing with the retention and sensitive conversion of the surviving historic mill buildings. The application’s outline status means those detailed questions remain to be resolved.
