Accor’s refreshed Old Trafford hotel heads to committee

Along with the third iteration of the Chester Road hotel project, Trafford Council’s reworked proposals for 84 homes at Sale’s former magistrates’ court – now with a third developer attached – are tipped for approval.

Trafford Council’s planning committee meeting on 13 March will also hear plans for 145 homes at the Valitus site in Stretford, and for a data centre at Urmston Leisure Centre.

Chester Road hotel (planning reference 114492)

Two previous hotel proposals have failed at the 701-709 Chester Road site, both locally at Trafford’s committee and then losing at appeal.

With Ica now on board as architect and Turley advising on planning, fresh proposals were submitted by Westcombe Group this winter.

Replacing the existing tinted office building, the 171-bed hotel would sit off Chester Road, between the two sporting Old Trafford grounds, and would be accompanied by a 61-flat aparthotel under the Novotel Living brand.

Accor Manchester and its Novotel brand would manage the operation. The tallest part of the development would be 12 storeys, with the aparthotel reaching four floors.

Previously, plans were refused mainly due to the likely impact on the lives of residents and highway safety.  The first version of the scheme came in at 16 storeys and 190 bedrooms, with the second proposal reduced to 10 floors and 169 rooms.

Offering a ‘minded to grant approval’ verdict, planning officers said in a report to committee there has been “a significant evolution in the scheme” since the earlier refusals, including the addition of the site at 709 Chester Road.

The report continued: “The current application has also sought to reduce the scale of the hotel building, increase on-site parking, including accessible parking provision, and address issues of layout, massing, elevational details and the impact on adjacent occupiers.”

Sale Magistrates’ Court (115183)

The 84 properties proposed in Sale include 21 affordable homes.

Trafford Council acquired the site in 2018, and developed plans with Seddon through 2020, securing approval in 2021. Equans then replaced Seddon as the local authority’s partner in 2023.

Place reported in January that PIC Homes is now working with Trafford on the project, which has been updated to account for regulatory changes and renewable energy.

84 homes are proposed on the vacant site. Credit: via planning documents

The development will include new public realm and the planting of new trees.

Euan Kellie Property Solutions is the scheme’s planning consultant.

Cllr Liz Patel, Trafford Council’s executive member for economy and regeneration, said: “The Sale Magistrates’ court housing development is a flagship scheme and meets the Council’s policy of building more housing on brownfield sites, with 25 per cent affordable homes.

“The amended application focuses on the delivery of energy efficient homes in response to the demand highlighted in the recent Housing Needs Assessment. There is a terrible shortage of housing nationally, and we are pushing ahead and building as many new and affordable homes as we can across the borough.”

PIC Homes recently completed phase one of a Timperley scheme called The Saplings.

Valitus site, Stretford (114228)

YC Property Group, advised by Paul Butler Associates, wants to demolish existing buildings on site and replace them with 145 homes – 123 apartments and 22 townhouses – and a commercial unit. The site is L-shaped, at the junction of Brixham Road and Ayres Road.

As outlined by officers, the site is listed in Trafford’s brownfield register as suitable for up to 120 homes. As this is a priority regeneration area, and 40% affordable homes are proposed in the scheme, officers attach minimum weight to the one area of concern, relating to amenity areas. Approval is recommended.

Data centre at Urmston Leisure Centre (115060)

Applicant Deep Green Technologies, working with Union4 Planning, wants to build a 7,000 sq ft data centre on part of the car park at the Move leisure centre, off Bowfell Road.

There is one objection, from the neighbouring Flixton Girls School.

Union4 said in its planning statement that the facility will be a small data centre, adjoining the leisure centre, and enclosed within an acoustic enclosure.

Furthermore, said the planner, the project is sustainable – 95% of the energy used by the data centre to operate will be converted to heat energy for the leisure centre to use free of charge. Seven parking spaces will be lost.