Retail park ‘could harm cinema plan’
MACCLESFIELD MP David Rutley has warned that controversial plans to build a £13m retail park on the former Barracks mill could adversely harm the town centre cinema scheme.
Planning chiefs at Cheshire East Council have recommended the proposals for the six-acre site off Black Lane are given the green light by a committee today (September 21).
This is despite their own colleagues in the regeneration department opposing the scheme because it could divert shoppers away from the ailing town centre.
Other objectors to the plan – which is for four large units for Range, Dunelm and Sports Direct, a fast food outlet and coffee ‘pod’ – include Macclesfield Town Council, Macclesfield Civic Society, Councillor Beverley Dooley and Eskmuir Securities Limited - owners the Grosvenor Shopping Centre - who all agree it would divert millions of pounds in trade from Macclesfield town centre.
Mr Rutley has urged councillors on the planning committee to go against their officers advice and reject the scheme.
He said: “I find the situation very, very disappointing at a time when we are moving things forward in the town centre with the leisure-led scheme and cinema. This is a distraction and potentially could impact on progress made in the town centre. I hope planning committee will take that into consideration.”
In a report published ahead of the crunch meeting planning officers said the proposal brings ‘economic benefits through new jobs, investment in the area and by bringing a vacant brownfield site into viable use on one of the key gateways to Macclesfield’.
It added: “...the impact of the proposal on the vitality and viability of Macclesfield town centre will be adverse but not significant adverse...”.
Access to the site could be from a new junction off the Silk Road and there will be a 300-space car park.
Critics of the scheme are also concerned over the impact on local roads with the potential for up to 500 vehicles to visit the site on Saturdays, but officers said it was acceptable.
There were also calls for the site to be used as housing, but developers Cedar Invest said housing was a not viable option, adding that a retail park would complement shops and regenerate an unsafe local eyesore.
Barracks Mill has been a derelict eyesore since 2004 when fire ripped through the buildings.
More recently Macclesfield Police have been visiting schools to warn children of the dangers of trespassing on the land.