From the front page of the Airport City official website:-

“Globalisation, demand for air travel and pressure to diversify mean 21st century airports are evolving into destinations people travel to, rather than just through. They complement city centres, offering not only a gateway for travel but also an economic hub where people live, work and play. These developments have become known globally as ‘Airport Cities’.


Manchester is the UK’s only regional airport with the attributes to successfully realise such a concept and Manchester Airports Group has been planning its own Airport City for 5 years. Sitting alongside growth in passenger forecasts, this development will capitalise on Manchester Airport’s unique combination of: Location, multimodal connectivity, infrastructure and land assets.”

Contrast that “Vision” with the Council’s reply:-

“Given that the Airport City development is specifically targeted at international trade, no formal consideration has been given to any potential impact on Stockport town centre.”