Manchester ‘reluctantly’ moves to refuse Crumpsall school
Concerns over highway safety led to councillors to commence the rejection process for the application from charity Binas Yisachar, which would have converted a former care home into two-form primary school for up to 120 children with special needs.
Yesterday’s planning committee was the second time councillors had debated Binas Yisachar’s application to change Chestnut House Care Home into a Jewish community school. The first time, Manchester councillors had opted to defer a decision until they could hold a site visit, wanting to see the highway issues for themselves.
Those issues proved insurmountable in the end, with councillors making clear they felt that drop-off areas, parking pressures, and rush hour traffic had not been adequately addressed. Manchester City Council officers, however, had disagreed with the assessment and had recommended the application for approval.
“I don’t doubt the value of the school and what it provides,” Cllr Dave Rawson said. “But I think in this circumstance I would like to reluctantly move that we mind to refuse this application.”
The 19-bed Chestnut House Care Home is vacant and sits at 69 Crumpsall Lane – opposite the Crumpsall Metrolink Station.
Under the plans drawn up by Debtal Architecture, there would be 14 covered cycle space and five car parking spaces for staff. Ashley Helme Associates crafted the transport strategy for the application.
The school could still be resurrected – Manchester City Council will debate the application again at a future planning committee meeting where a final verdict to approve or reject will be delivered.
To learn more about the scheme, search for reference number 143452/FO/2025 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
Crumpsall Lane was Free Flowing Until They Put Traffic Lights At The Junction
By Norman Hudson
So, the Council’s own Officers recommended approval, presumably based on advice from professional Highways Engineers, but the Councillors in all their wisdom have visited the site and made an assessment to the contrary, based on… feels / vibes? Complete shambles. Its a SEND school for crying out loud!
By Anonymous
Entirely the wrong site for a 120-place school, on a busy and frequently congested road opposite the tram stop which already leads to parking issues, and hardly any on-site space for sufficient parking/drop-off and a play area for the children.
The committee was absolutely right to knock this one back; baffling the officers thought it was in any way sensible, and it isn’t as if the MCC committee is much given to nimbyism.
The building certainly isn’t vacant at the moment; a retrospective application for change of use might have been more appropriate.
By Anonymous
A planning officer’s recommendation is not the final decision. Councillors are there to assess all the evidence independently. In this case, the highways report was largely based on travel data from the existing Belz School, not the realities of this site. There were also questions raised about whether the existing school is exclusively an SEN school, as presented. After visiting the location, several councillors clearly felt the proposal was not suitable for this site. That’s exactly why planning committees exist.
By Anonymous
Wrong site. Good proposal. Schools are required esp SEND schools but schools are required.
Crumpsall lane is a very busy road with the metro link opposite, a primary school already there, the road links to Middleton road, then onto Heatin park and the motorway. Ita already very busy in normal day with school children and general commuters at the park and ride metro stop. A school of any size will make things much more busier and they want to expand capacity eventually….Im sure they can find a better purpose for the site and a better site for the school.
By Anonymous
Re: Anonymous……you obviously don’t know the area very well! There is absolutely no capacity for vehicles to drop-off/pick-up outside the property, ir anywhere in the vicinity. Crumpsall Lane is a very busy main road, especially in commuting hours.
By Doug Barlow
Its not a send school
By Anonymous
I live at 73 Crumpsall lane I refuse for the application to go ahead as there is no parking in this area and it’s a very busy road already
By Shazad
The traffic around this area is gridlocked due to the two current schools. I hope the councillors manage to visit when school is back on, and not during the summer holidays.
There are frequently stand offs in the area with a road blocked due to all the cars. Maybe the proposal is good but it’s definitely not the right area for it.
By Anonymous
Don’t understand how people are against it, it’s an amazing school and this building has the best infrastructure to have a school there, shame on all these people that are against giving a good place for the next generation, This needs to be approved!
By Henry