Cheshire East Council looks set to press ahead with plans to sell off part of two Macclesfield town centre car parks for housing.

The economy and growth committee voted unanimously in favour of about half of the land on the Churchill Way and Duke Street car parks being developed for housing, subject to planning permission and the sites being declared operationally surplus.

The proposal is to reduce Churchill Way from 276 to 123 spaces and Duke Street from 275 to 105.

Dr Charles Jarvis, head of economic development, told yesterday's (Tuesday, March 11) meeting that an independent survey had identified 'there is excess capacity currently and if we take out 50 per cent of Duke Street and 50 per cent of Churchill Way there is still excess capacity'.

But ward councillor Liz Braithwaite (Lab), speaking as a visiting member, said: "The parking feasibility study provided in this report is not robust.

"It does not cover potential displacement onto residential streets and the impacts on traffic movement, and it is focused on a pre-determined outcome of surplus capacity on Churchill Way and Duke Street, without considering other town centre car parks."

Churchill Way Car Park (Credit: Nub News)

Cllr Chris O'Leary (Sutton, Con) said there was over-provision of parking in Macclesfield.

"We have two choices," he said.

"We either leave it as it is, or we leverage those assets and leveraging those assets is a win, win.

"We get to reduce the number of houses we have to build on farmland, plus we generate a capital receipt which can be used to improve the Grosvenor Car Park, could be used to facilitate further development on Chestergate, and can be used elsewhere around the town centre."

Cllr O'Leary said there were 15 cars on Duke Street when he parked there before the meeting and 'it was field of open car parking spaces'.

He moved the proposals be approved.

Macclesfield councillor Rob Vernon (Lab) said this was exactly the sort of development that needs to come forward.

"Town centres as they were aren't dying, they've died, past tense," said Cllr Vernon.

"Retail ain't coming back. Town centres have changed, the economy has changed, and in-town living is the answer, because it brings people into the town centre, providing more customers for existing and future businesses."

But he said the council would need to look at the impact of the cost of any residential parking scheme on residents.

Duke Street Car Park (Credit: Nub News)

Earlier in the meeting, public speaker Sue Mason, who has been a Macclesfield resident for 75 years, told the committee: "The report says the study indicates that partial release of both car parks should not result in significant negative impacts."

Mrs Mason told members: "Should not is not the same as will not I would like to have seen 'will not' impact rather than 'should not'.

She added: "My main point being impact assessment. Look at what the impact will be on traffic, on schools, on hospitals, if we do sell off this land to build housing, which I'm very mindful the country needs."