The Changing Face of Trafford: Altrincham

Changes to the Towns of Trafford

The last fifty years have seen developments to the major towns of Altrincham, Sale, Stretford and Urmston, as well as to smaller local centres, such as Hale and Partington. Technological changes have had a huge impact on the way we now shop. Out-of-town shopping developments, like the huge regional retail park at the Trafford Centre, have been a great success. However, they have inevitably had a detrimental effect on some towns. This has driven the borough to reconsider the purpose of these towns in the current age. Trafford Council has reacted very positively, driving a continuing programme of refashioning the towns to change in response to the out-of-town developments. It has been very successful in adapting them to meet the needs of present-day shopping and leisure activity.

Altrincham

After the transition to Trafford, Altrincham was no longer the administrative centre of its own area. In 1973 ‘… Altrincham is a good shopping centre, though Stretford’s recent development must challenge it.’[i] It seems that, although people were more willing to travel to Altrincham from a further distance than the other centres, a greater percentage of Altrincham shoppers were going out of Altrincham for their food shopping. This was probably because Sainsbury’s supermarket in Altrincham, the first large such store in the town, was not opened until November 1985.[ii] Tesco only had a small, town centre store on George Street. In 1974, Tesco had a store in Stretford.[iii] In the mid-1980s Altrincham was second only to Manchester city centre for non-food shopping trips.[iv]

In 1974, Altrincham still had a number of old-fashioned small, family-run shops:

Altrincham has always been a compact and very walkable town centre. Shopping in Altrincham in 1974 was concentrated upon George Street, Stamford New Road and the area around the Market Hall. It was generally regarded as having a strong service sector. However, it was beginning to modernise its town centre at this time and the Grafton Centre opened in 1974. A decision had been made two years earlier to build the Petros Centre, a scheme which Trafford Borough Council inherited in 1974. A new bus and rail link was also planned. This involved large scale demolition of the old bus station, the town library and Stamford Hall.

Critics of the multi-million-pound town centre development plans launched a campaign to save parts of the town from what they claim is the threat of becoming a ghost town. They claimed that the plans to develop a major shopping centre at the end of George Street were “rushed through” without proper consideration. The concern was that the rest of the town would be neglected for the Petros development. Demolition of the old library and Stamford Hall was due to start in October 1974.[v] This development did succeed in improving the volume of trade in the town by the mid-eighties and attracted major retailers such as C & A and a couple of supermarkets, Presto and Sainsbury’s.[vi]

A Plan of the Petros Centre, now known as the Stamford Quarter, from a 1976 Shopping Guide. Only W.H. Smith still on the same site in 2024.[vii]

In the 1980s and early 1990s, houses and commercial development took place close to the town centre, on land that was used for car parking following clearances in Oakfield Road, Lloyd Street, Denmark Street and in the old railway sidings near Goose Green. In 1976 a local property developer began to buy up the old cottages in Goose Green, which were at the time under closure orders, to convert into shops.[viii]

Altrincham went through troubled times following a large increase in out-of-town shopping facilities in the area in the 1990s, the economic downturn of 2008, and the growth of internet-based shopping. It was branded as a ‘Ghost Town’ in 2010, for having a shop vacancy rate of 30%, the highest in the country. Trafford Council made Altrincham a priority and the establishment of Altrincham Forward has helped action to be taken to improve the public realm, protect the town’s heritage, refurbish the market and increase footfall. Interest-free loans were made available to encourage traders to invest and improve, to the extent that the town was awarded ‘Champion High Street in England 2018’ in the Great British High Street Awards. The shop vacancy rate had been driven down to 7.3% and footfall had increase by a million visitors by 2018.[ix]

Recognising that Altrincham is an ancient market town, by 2024 developers have taken full advantage of this to repurpose the old Altrincham Market Hall and surrounds as a food retail and dining centre, with the outdoor section of the market being used partly for gift sales and partly fresh food instead of the more practical sales of bacon sandwiches, vacuum cleaner parts and haberdashery of its former existence. The Market Hall had always been considered a considerable asset to the town centre with attractive features and a good location.

‘The importance of independent food and drink operators and modern markets has been exemplified by the success of the Market House in Altrincham, which accommodates six different kitchens, a coffee shop, chocolatier, a wine shop and a bar. As we go on to consider in greater detail in the health check assessment provided as part of this Study, the success of Altrincham market has resulted in a resurgence of the town centre as a destination to eat and drink. There have been many new restaurant openings subsequent to the market changing perceptions of the centre. The confidence in Altrincham as a dining destination has had a beneficial impact on the town's vacancy rate, and also now appears to be helping to attract new retailers to the town. The ‘Altrincham model' is beginning to be replicated by other centres, with new or refreshed markets opening in Manchester and Preston, and a new food hall (solely accommodating independent traders) planned for Urmston.’ [x]

Altrincham has also been enhanced by several important developments in recent years. These include the construction of a new hospital and public library and health centre in the heart of the town. The bus and rail exchange has also been revitalised and made a more pleasant environment. The town benefits from its very good public transport links by Metrolink, bus and train.

In the last five years the character of Altrincham has changed towards a café culture, with the town full of cafés, bars and restaurants rather than traditional shops. The Grafton Centre is now no longer functions as a shopping arcade. Trafford Council purchased it in 2018 and plans to convert it to apartments.[xi]

The town in 2024 has a thriving community of independent traders as well as multiple stores such as Marks and Spencer, Boots, W.H. Smith and Waterstones, and clothing shops such as Next, River Island, Monsoon and H & M, all situated in George Street. In recent years some of the larger retailers have moved out or ceased trading including the department store Rackham’s (House of Fraser), Debenham’s, Iceland and Wilkos. The town has its fair share of charity shops on Regent Road and in the Regent Road end of George Street. There are still some vacant shops, in particular, the former Woolworth’s building towards the Regent Road end of George Street. Stamford New Road is now occupied mainly by bars, cafes and restaurants, banks and building societies and a few shops that cater for the well-being market.

The town has a large amount of office space, though some of this is vacant as a result of the trend for companies to allow more employees to work from home.

In recent years the former Petros Centre has been refurbished and rebranded as the Stamford Quarter. To reconnect the town to its transport links, a new development is underway at the time of writing (2024) to convert the former Rackham’s department store into Foundation, a centre for leisure, hospitality, retail and workplaces.[xii]

There has been a massive increase in gymnasium and fitness provision with at least twenty gyms in Altrincham and Timperley, ranging from large sports halls to small personal training venues. These are mainly clustered around the town centre and out-of-town at Atlantic Street. Altrincham Leisure Centre is being remodelled and is soon to be relaunched as ‘Move’, and a new fitness studio is planned for Foundation. Other leisure facilities near the centre include two cinemas, an ice rink, Altrincham Football Club and a new bowling alley that is planned for Foundation in the former Rackham’s store. There is another bowling facility at Broadheath and several nearby golf courses.

Article researched and written by Trafford Local Studies volunteer Richard Nelson.

Sources

[i] Clark, David, M, ‘Greater Manchester Votes: a guide to the new metropolitan authorities’, Redrose, Mar 1973. Trafford Local Studies, 96698098.

[ii] https://www.sainsburyarchive.org.uk/catalogue/search/branch/ref/p902-altrincham-lloyd-street-1985-present-sainsburys-branch.{Accessed 6 Apr 2024]

[iii] Box 10: Stretford and Urmston Journal Photograph Collection, Trafford Local Studies, LHC/1214/10.

[iv] Bernard Thorpe & Partners for Trafford M.B.C., Trafford Shopping Study Main Report, September 1986’, Sep 1986, Trafford Local Studies, TRA/4/3/2/2.

[v] Altrincham Guardian, 18 Jul 1974, p.1.

[vi] ‘Trafford Shopping Study Main Report, September 1986’, Bernard Thorpe & Partners for Trafford M.B.C., Sep 1986, Trafford Local Studies, TRA/4/3/2/2.

[vii] Altrincham and District Shopping Centre – A new look with a touch of class, Supplement to Cheshire County Newspaper, 1976 in file 167967, Trafford Local Studies Centre.

[viii] Altrincham Today, 9 May 2017. https://altrincham.todaynews.co.uk/news/2017/05/09/story-goose-green-transformed-workers-cottages-become-altrinchams-unique-jewel/ [Accessed 19 Apr 2024].

[ix] Presentation on Revitalising Altrincham Town Centre, file:///C:/Users/rjnel/Downloads/Executive%20Room%201%20Trafford%20Richard%20Roe-1.pdf [Accessed 10 Apr 2024]. The Altrincham Strategy, https://www.trafford.gov.uk/planning/strategic-planning/docs/altrincham-strategy-july-2014.pdf [Accessed 10 Apr 2024].

[x] Nexus Planning at the request of Trafford M.B.C., Trafford Council Retail and Leisure Study, Final Report, Aug. 2019, https://pdf.browsealoud.com/PDFViewer/_Desktop/viewer.aspx?file=https://pdf.browsealoud.com/StreamingProxy.ashx?url=https://www.trafford.gov.uk/planning/strategic-planning/docs/Retail-Study-2019-Full-Report.pdf&opts=www.trafford.gov.uk#langidsrc=en-gb&locale=en-gb&dom=www.trafford.gov.uk [Accessed 10 Apr 2024]

[xi] Altrincham Today, 20 Mar 2023.  https://altrincham.todaynews.co.uk/regeneration/2023/08/10/trafford-council-planning-to-convert-part-of-former-grafton/ [Accessed 10 Apr 2024].

[xii] https://www.stamfordquarter.com/media/m3mgdnd4/foundation-brochure.pdf [Accessed 10 Apr 2024].