Cheshire East to approve Congleton Aldi, Starbucks

On the council’s agenda next Wednesday is phase four of Clowes Developments’ Viking Park masterplan and an update on the proposed changes to the agreed Section 106 agreement for the 1,500-home Handforth Garden Village.

Both the project and changes are recommended for approval by planning officers, however councillors could choose to vote otherwise.

Viking Way

Application number: 23/2054C

Clowes Developments is asking for reserved matters approval for phase four of its Viking Park redevelopment to deliver 25,000 sq ft of retail space.

Outline permission was granted for Clowes’ wider masterplan for the 55-acre plot off Viking Way last February. Other phases will provide up to 175 homes, as well as more than 219,500 sq ft of industrial space and 36,800 sq ft of offices.

Whittam Cox Architects designed the latest scheme, which would create 24,700 sq ft of commercial space anchored by a 19,200 sq ft Aldi supermarket.

Proposals also feature a 1,800 sq ft Starbucks drive-thru and an additional 3,700 sq ft retail unit to be built on a speculative basis.

The reserved matters application was submitted in May.

Asteer Planning is the scheme’s planning consultant. Also on the project team are landscape architect TPM Landscaping, transport consultant Hub Transport, and environmental consultant Tyler Grange.

Clowes acquired the Congleton site from Richborough Estates in 2021 for its redevelopment into a mixed-use park.

In May, contractor TanRo started work on a 102,000 sq ft warehouse there.

Plans for the wider masterplan can be found by searching for application number 19/5596C.

Handforth Garden Village

Application number: 19/0623M

Plans for Handforth Garden Village were approved in January, subject to securing more than £30m of Section 106 contributions from the developer towards local highways, education, and healthcare.

Engine of the North, Cheshire East Council’s development company, is leading on the proposals for the 300-acre masterplan, which will be developed on land east of Ainslie Way and south of the Manchester Airport Eastern Link Road.

As the council is the developer and owns most of the site, members are recommended to revise the S106 agreement. This is because “the council cannot take enforcement action under S106 against itself as that requires a separate legal personality”, according to a council report.

It is recommended that the mitigation and requirements that would otherwise be secured by the S106 agreement is secured by negatively worded planning conditions attached to the permission.

If approved, the commencement of development will be prohibited until the council and planning authority reach a Memorandum of Understanding to confirm how and when relevant obligations will be carried out.

The development will create 1,500 homes and around 245,000 sq ft of employment space, as well as a primary and secondary school, sports facilities, 175 elderly care residential units, a village hall, and space for self-build homes.

Proposals also include 116 acres of open space and just under 30 acres of employment land.

Engine of the North has secured outline consent for the built elements of the scheme and full consent for preliminary infrastructure works to prepare the site for redevelopment.

Frost Planning, IBI, E*Scape Urbanists, and PGA Landscape Architecture make up the project team.