Macclesfield: 'Uninspiring' apartment block on Chestergate recommended for approval
As reported by Macclesfield Nub News last week, Cheshire East Council are discussing flats on west Chestergate in Macclesfield this week.
Plans for a 45-apartment block near the former Old King's Head pub in Macclesfield have been recommended for approval, despite a councillor branding the design 'uninspiring' and 'lacking character'.
IDCB Properties Limited wants to build the flats, together with two ground floor retail units, on land near the former pub at Chestergate.
Ward councillor Ashley Farrall, who will be speaking at Wednesday's meeting of the northern planning committee when the application will be considered, has already emailed the council with his thoughts.
In the email, the Labour councillor says: "While I welcome finally the development of this site which has stood and been allowed to fall into derelict collapse over the past 20+ years, the design put in front of us is generic, uninspiring, lacks character and is completely out of sorts with the aims of the conservation area that it's in."
The scheme has been supported by Macclesfield Town Council.
But 14 residents have raised concerns relating to issues such as overdevelopment of the site and the design being too modern.
Macclesfield Civic Society has also expressed a number of concerns including the bulk and mass of the proposed buildings and the adverse effect the scheme would have upon the town centre conservation area and the setting of nearby listed buildings in Little Street.
In a report due to go to Wednesday's meeting, the council's planning officer states: "This proposal would bring significant benefits by bringing a prominent vacant brownfield site into viable use on one of the key gateways into Macclesfield town centre… The site is largely brownfield in nature and its redevelopment represents an efficient use of land in a highly sustainable location."
The council's housing officer has objected because of the lack of affordable housing, but the planning officer states: "It has been demonstrated, and independently verified, that the scheme cannot bear the cost of the usual commuted sums or affordable housing provision that would be expected from a development of this size as the scheme would be unviable. The proposal can only accommodate two affordable rented units. This is an adverse impact of the scheme but is outweighed by the benefits of redeveloping this important town centre site."
The application seeks full planning permission for the demolition of the existing buildings on site and the construction of 24 two-bed and 21 one-bed apartments across a part three/part four-storey building with two ground floor retail units.
Parking for 25 cars would be provided within an enclosed courtyard at the back, and access to the site would be from King Edward Street. Altogether 70 cycle parking spaces are proposed within the building.
The scheme has been recommended for approval, subject to conditions.
The planning meeting takes place at Macclesfield Town Hall, Market Place, at 10am on Wednesday, September 6.
The full plans - which have been in the works since 2021 - can be read here.
UPDATE 5/9/23: Since his original comments, Cllr Farrall emailed the council's planning department with an update but these comments were not included in the officer's report to tomorrow's (Wednesday) meeting.
Cllr Farrall has asked the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) to add that he emailed the council after his original comments to say: "I have been in continued contact with the applicant as I am keen to see this long
derelict site developed. The applicant has been amenable and taken on board my suggestions to bring the design more in keeping with the conservation area and vision set out in the SRF (strategic regeneration framework)."
Cllr Farrall told the LDRS he has also made the planning team aware of this latest email.
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