From grey to green: why Stockport Interchange means so much
Phil Williams, Managing Director, EPG discusses the Stockport Interchange SuDS project, and being declared the Overall Winner at the susdrain SuDS Awards 2026
Winning an industry award is always something to celebrate. Winning two in one evening is something truly special.
We’re incredibly proud that our blue roof design for Stockport Interchange was recognised at the 2026 susdrain Awards, first winning the Regeneration & Retrofit: Public Buildings category before being named the evening’s Overall Winner.
Whilst industry recognition is very valuable, this award is about much more than trophies. It’s about what this project represents.
A project that changed more than a bus station
Stockport interchange has transformed a tired, grey transport hub into something entirely different.
Today, a 4,000m² publicly accessible roof park sits above the interchange, providing a place where people can walk, meet, relax and enjoy nature. On hot summer days it offers shade and cooling, while throughout the year it provides valuable habitat, improves biodiversity and contributes an estimated £16 million in natural capital value.
Behind the landscaping, however, is engineering infrastructure that is working every single day.
The roof park is a fantastic demonstration of a successful SuDS intervention. A highly engineered blue roof, designed by EPG to capture, store and control rainfall before it is released into the drainage network. The system slows the flow of rainwater, reduces peak runoff and supports passive irrigation, allowing captured rainwater to help sustain the planting above.
It’s a perfect example of how sustainable drainage can become an integral part of creating healthier, greener places rather than simply solving an engineering problem.
Putting SuDS at the heart of regeneration
Urban regeneration projects are rarely straightforward.
Existing infrastructure, constrained sites, multiple stakeholders and increasing climate pressures all create significant design challenges. At Stockport interchange, the ambition wasn’t simply to deliver a modern transport interchange. It was to create new public space, improve the surrounding environment and build resilience for decades to come.
EPG delivered the SuDS design from concept stage through to detailed design, working closely with United Utilities and the wider project team to ensure water management became part of the overall vision, rather than an afterthought.
The completed blue roof system provides 85mm of attenuation storage, is designed to accommodate a 1-in-100-year storm event plus a 40% climate change allowance and achieves more than a 95% reduction in peak runoff rates.
These figures demonstrate impressive engineering performance, but they’re only part of the story. The real success lies in the fact that the drainage infrastructure has created a place that people genuinely want to use.
The project also pulled in EPG’s waterproofing experts, working alongside the SuDS team to deliver a waterproofing strategy, making sure the building below stayed dry while we stored water above it. A true team effort delivering outstanding results.
More than an award-winning drainage scheme
I’ve been lucky enough to work on Olympic arenas, elite sports venues and huge giga-projects where the numbers are enormous. But this park in Greater Manchester might be my favourite.
The difficulty of delivering major infrastructure is a hot topic in the UK. Here is one that has been delivered. And it is now giving something back to the community.
Some projects are impressive because they are big. Some are impressive because they are complicated. This one is special because it is useful, generous and visible.
That perfectly captures why this project means so much to everyone involved.
Stockport interchange demonstrates that sustainable drainage doesn’t have to be hidden beneath the ground. When it’s integrated into the wider vision for a development, it can improve resilience, support biodiversity, enhance public wellbeing and create spaces that people value every day.
Looking ahead
As towns and cities continue to adapt to climate change, projects like Stockport Interchange provide an important blueprint for the future.
They show that SuDS are about far more than managing rainfall. They are about designing places that are greener, cooler, more resilient and ultimately better for the communities they serve.
We’re incredibly proud to have played our part in delivering this award-winning scheme, and we’d like to congratulate United Utilities, Stockport Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, City of Trees and every member of the wider project team whose collaboration made it possible.
Awards are always welcome.
But seeing a piece of infrastructure become a place that improves everyday life for thousands of people is the achievement that will stay with us.
Tags: Overall Winner, Stockport Interchange, SuDS Awards, susdrain SuDS Awards 2026