Sale Magistrates Court, PIC Homes, p EKPS

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

Developer on board for long-awaited Sale resi

PIC Homes will deliver the 84-home redevelopment of the town’s former Magistrates’ court, a scheme that has been threatening to come forward since Trafford Council acquired the site in 2018.

Working with Seddon Homes, Trafford Council submitted plans for the Sale project in 2020 and secured approval the following year.

Seddon’s involvement subsequently ended and Equans was announced as the council’s new partner in 2023.

However, 18 months on, it is PIC Homes now leading the Washway Road project after entering into a joint venture with the council.

Trafford Council has lodged fresh plans tweaking the previously approved, five-year-old proposals to bring the development in line with fire regulations and make them more energy efficient.

The scheme features plans for 38 apartments in 2 blocks, 40 townhouses and six semi-detached houses. 21 would be affordable and Southway Housing Trust is being lined up to manage these properties, according to planning documents.

Coda Architecture and Euan Kellie Property Solutions advised on the revised submission, replacing IBI Group and Avision Young as architect and planner respectively.

To learn more, search for reference number 115183/VAR/24 on Trafford Council’s planning portal.

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.”

She added: “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, which recently completed the first phase of The Saplings development in Timperley, is headed up by Armaan Chohan and David Strettle.

A spokesperson for the company said: “We are really pleased to be working with Trafford Council to develop this site into much needed family homes.

“Armaan lived in Sale for 15 years and is a former Ashton-on-Mersey School pupil, so it feels special to be able to give back to the local area.”

Trafford bought the court in 2018 for an undisclosed sum before appointing contractor PP O’Connor to demolish the buildings the same year.

The court was left empty in 2016 after closing as part of a Government cost-cutting initiative.

Your Comments

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Great to see this long stalled scheme finally getting going.

By Anonymous

Please, just make sure there is sufficient parking for all properties.

By Big Des

This seems a particularly inefficient use of a highly sustainable town centre site.

By Trafford Resident

Hopefully not another false dawn. It is scandalous that the fine intentions of the council have ended up blighting this area of town for so long. Altrincham next please

By Tannoy

Agreed with Trafford resident, Its in the centre of Sale, density should be higher

By Anonymous

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