A Stockport bridge is set to be transformed into a ‘piece of wildlife art.’
New murals and plants are being introduced to the Thomson Street foot and cycle bridge, which connects Edgeley and the town centre over Stockport’s railway line.
This includes a nod to some of the town’s landmarks, including Stockport market, Bramhall Hall, and the viaduct.
Thomson Street bridge was opened in 2022 as part of a Bee Network scheme to improve walking and cycling routes in the borough.
Plans to transform the area are being led by Cheshire Wildlife Trust along with Stockport council, Avanti, and the Crewe to Manchester Community Rail Partnership.
Volunteers are helping to paint the new murals at the site.
Alex Teague, 20, is a Stockport College student taking part.
He’s going to Manchester Metropolitan University in September, but before that he wanted to use his time to give something back to the town.
He said: “Art like this makes it feel friendlier and more welcoming, it’s good for the community.
“We see it all the time in Manchester, it makes people feel better about where they live.”
The project is backed by money from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Green Spaces Fund, to make urban centres better places for people and wildlife.
It also forms part of Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Rewilding Stockport project, funded by the Heritage National Lottery Fund.
Arc, a Stockport art and health charity based in the town’s Hat Works Museum, has taken the lead of the new design.
Murals created by Arc’s lead artist Caroline Coates were inspired by workshops held with community groups and organisations, including students from Stockport College.
Holly Woosey, wilder communities officer at Cheshire Wildlife Trust, said: “It is going to be so good to see these three areas coming to life through this project.
“The artwork captures exactly how I envisage Stockport in the future, with wildlife in amongst the town centre.
“I’d really like for local people to keep an eye on the artwork and see how it develops through the painting sessions coming up.”
Annette Naor Hilton, creative wellbeing lead at Arc said: “The bridge mural project has provided an exciting opportunity for Stockport residents to put their mark on their home town in a public piece of art.
“The final mural is a wonderful celebration of Stockport green spaces and places, shaped both conceptually and artistically by the local community. “
Lisa Magee, Avanti West Coast team leader in Stockport, said: “We hope this wonderful mural will brighten the pedestrian and cycle route to the station inspiring people to take small actions that can help the town’s wildlife, and help the charity’s aspirations to become a reality.”
Active travel campaigners in Stockport have welcomed the scheme, but called for more links to local walking and cycling infrastructure.
A spokesperson from Walk Ride Stockport said: “Trees and wildlife make our streets cooler, cleaner and more pleasant to walk and cycle, so we support community projects bringing nature into the town.
“The Thomson Street foot and cycle bridge is, for now, a missed opportunity.
“It’s supposed to be a key link from the town centre towards Edgeley, Cheadle and beyond – which isn’t working yet, because the bridge isn’t linked up to a usable active travel network.”
Major work by Network Rail is due to take place at the Armoury roundabout and Greek Street Bridge in Stockport in 2025.
This includes ‘possible improvements including pedestrian priority crossings on arms with no current facility and ideally the possible inclusion of Bee Network standard cycle connections between residential areas, the college, and the railway station.’
Stockport council is also leading projects such as new transport improvements down the A6, with new walking and cycling routes plotted along side streets around the road.
Other community art projects have recently taken place around Stockport town centre, including a Joy Division mural in the Underbanks area, and a Stockport County mural off Castle Street in Edgeley.
