Gorse Hill Labour

A regular blog and updates from Mike Cordingley, Councillor for Gorse Hill Ward in Trafford – Gtr Manchester.

News Section: Planning

Scoping Stretford Mall

The developers for Stretford Mall and Lacy Street, Trafford Bruntwood, have submitted a scoping report request.

The nature of the development in our town centre makes it a requirement to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment with the planning application.

This scoping request is a preliminary exercise to tease out the subject matter that will need to be included within the Environmental Impact Assessment.

Whilst a scoping request is not particularly noteworthy in itself, the description submitted in terms of the plan for Stretford is exciting:

  • Demolition of selected buildings on site;
  • Up to 800 residential dwellings (Use Class C3);
  • Up to 13,000sqm mixed retail and commercial uses(Use Class E);
  • Up to 2,800 sqm public house / drinking establishment / Takeaways / Theatres / Cinemas / Cafes (Sui Generis);
  • Up to 720 sqm of learning and non-learning institutions (Use Class F1);
  • Up to 2400 sqm for local community uses (Use Class F2)
  • Public realm;
  • Landscaping; and
  • Associated infrastructure.
Scoping Documents

Greatstone Hotel flats rejected by planners

By planning standards this was a hard-hitting report.

The principle of the demolition of the existing buildings and their replacement with residential development was considered acceptable.

However, for reasons set out in full later in the report, the assessment of the scheme against NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) policies relating to heritage ‘provides a clear reason for refusing the development’.

There were also other issues which weighed against the proposal relating to:

  • the design,
  • siting,
  • scale,
  • massing and bulk of the development,
  • the lack of good quality amenity space
  • and the lack of parking provision

The report also drew the members attention to the fact that most of the dwellings would not meet the nationally described space standards so the poor level of amenity was exacerbated and also indicated an overdevelopment of the site.

The proposal was for 57 apartments in an ‘L’ shaped block with a five storey frontage to Chester Road adjacent to the Gorse Hill Park gates on the site of the Greatstone Hotel.

Planning committee unanimously supported the officers’ report and refused permission on the submitted plans.

Hotel set for demolition

Councillor Mike Cordingley is a member of the planning committeee