The new public square that will form the foundation of Stretford’s new, reinvigorate town centre redevelopment is to be named after one of its most celebrated former residents.
Lloyd Square will be named after Sir Tony Lloyd, who served as a Labour member of parliament for a number of Greater Manchester constituencies, including Manchester Central, Rochdale and, of course, for Stretford between 1983 and 1997.
He was also Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner between 2012 and 2017, interim Mayor of Greater Manchester between 2015 and 2017 and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland between 2018 and 2020.
The name of the square was selected by Stretford residents who were asked to cast their votes, with over 1600 votes registered via social media, and also a temporary polling booth set up in Stretford Mall.
The other two shortlisted entries, Enriqueta Square and Hibberd Square, also received significant support from the Stretford community, tributes to John Rylands Library founder Enriqueta Rylands, and Joan Hibberd, a Stretford resident since 1922, who was celebrated in the town for her active commitment to civic engagement.

However, Lloyd Square was declared the winner after receiving the largest share of the vote across all platforms.
Mr Lloyd revealed that he was undergoing chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis in January 2023. He died in January 2024, after deciding to stop treatment for aggressive leukaemia.
Cllr Judith Lloyd, Sir Tony Lloyd’s wife, said: “Our family are delighted that Lloyd Square has been chosen to recognise Tony’s contribution to Stretford.
“We are grateful to all those who voted in recognition of Tony’s service to his constituents.”
Cllr Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council said: “The ‘Name the Square’ project has been a massive success with more than 400 entries and I am delighted with the response from the community. Sir Tony Lloyd was an incredible politician and public servant who had an amazing career. It is only right that the square should be named in his honour.
“Thank you again to everyone who took part. These are massively exciting times for Stretford and I cannot wait to see the new square when it is completed.”
Connecting the newly restored King Street and Pinnington Lane, the new public square will play a key role in the regeneration of the area, as the site of the Mall, also known as Stretford Arndale, continues towards being fully revamped by 2025.
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