New homes for farmhouse site
ONE of the oldest buildings in Macclesfield is to be demolished to make way for 18 new homes.
The farmhouse on Birtles Road was once known as Lower Roewood and dates back to the 17th Century.
The property has been vacant since 2004 and was wrecked by fire in 2008.
The 1.6 acre site was sold by Cheshire East Council to Bartholomew Homes last year.
Now the firm has revealed its plans for 18 three-bedroomed, semidetached houses.
The scheme includes demolishing the locally listed house and outbuildings because they are in a dangerous state of disrepair.
Although one of the oldest buildings in the town and while it is classified as a ‘locally listed building’ it doesn’t get the full protection given to fully listed buildings of architectural or historic interest.
Historic documents show the farmhouse, which once boasted a thatched roof, was owned by the fourth Earl of Courtown James Stopford, who lives between 1794-1858), and served as the Keeper of the Rolls for the County of Wexford. The site is next to Broken Cross allotments and Green Belt and there are bungalows and houses to the south. There will be a new access road from Birtles Road as well as access from Birtles Lane.
The current public footpath across the site linking Birtles Road and Drummond Way will re-directed, which architect George Tsiantar said the move will improve visibility and lighting for users after dark.
A public consultation event before the plans were submitted saw residents raise issues of privacy for the bungalows nearby because of the distance to the proposed taller houses. Other residents asked the developer to limit street lighting and the allotment society were against plans for a picnic ares near the allotment amid fears it would “encourage congregating nuisance groups”.
To address concerns the developer reduced the number of homes from 20 to 18 and took out plans for a picnic area.
In his design statement architect George Tsiantar said: “The scheme proposed makes good use of a redundant site and provides additional enhancements to the local area and community with improved access and security.”
Although once a vibrant farm the site has been earmarked for housing for many years.