Ask showcases proposals for Macclesfield town centre

Ask Real Estate has revealed designs for its Churchill Way cinema and restaurant development at a public consultation, ahead of submitting a planning application in early 2018.

The proposals for the two-acre site opposite the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, designed by architect FaulknerBrowns, include a seven-screen cinema, and eight units for cafes, restaurants, and bars.

The existing area will be reoriented to link the development with Castle Street and Exchange Street, while there will also be a landscaped green space and a courtyard square. All the buildings on the site are intended to be single-storey to minimise the impact on neighbouring properties.

The site currently houses a 275-space car park, but the proposals for the development do not include any car parking. Following consultation with the council, the developer said existing car parking facilities in the town centre would “satisfactorily accommodate” the loss of Churchill Way’s car park.

Ask said it was “in the process of making final agreements” with an operator for the cinema, but had not confirmed any tenants for the restaurant and bar units.

The developer added a planning application for the project would be submitted in the first quarter of 2018, and subject to consent, construction work could start on site in the autumn. A main contractor is yet to be finalised for the scheme.

Following a 16-month construction programme, the development could potentially open in spring 2020.

The professional team on the project also includes Curtins, Planit IE as landscape architect, and How as planner. The public consultation closes on 20 December.

Aside from the Churchill Way regeneration, Cheshire East Council also launched a consultation into a new five-year strategy for Macclesfield earlier this year.

Broad areas suggested include the expansion of the council’s public realm improvement strategy, repurposing underused buildings and better promotion of heritage assets.

Macclesfield Town Centre 2

The seven-screen cinema will be accompanied by up to eight restaurants, bars, and cafes

This five-year strategy by the council’s executive director of place Frank Jordan is intended to replace the council’s existing Town Centre strategy, agreed in 2014.

Your Comments

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It’s funny this. The original council brief required retention of car parking. Scheme looks remarkably like one of the other bidders. Hmm.

By Dpb

We need more car parking if not people will not come to the town.

By Christine Roberts

Great idea, but toooo Big!!! Smaller version would be great for macc

By MR Campbell

We live right next to this and it looks massive and what about residents parking and late night noise and rubbish!?

By Mrs Henson

We have a problem if speeding cars down small streets in this area. This will become much worse with this added. Look at Bridge Street the cars already treat that like a race course!

By Mr Peters

No PARKING …. NO PARKING !!!!!!!
NEARLY EVERY RECENT P.APPLICATION WE’VE SUBMITTED HAS HINGED ON PARKING REQUIREMENTS INSISTED UPON BY CECOUNCIL. ……. SO WHY NOT THIS PROPOSAL?
SIMILAR UNDER PROVISION FOR PEAKS AND PLAINS FOR FLATS OFF PARK GREEN IS OKAY. WHAT IS GOING ON ??
THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY TWO RULE BOOKS IN THIS AUTHORITY. WHY??
PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW WE GET A COPY OF THE RELAXED PARKING RULE BOOK……. I SUSPECT WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT.
Regards
Architectural Planning Partnership llp

By Palfreyman R.I. pp APPLLP llp

Macclesfield desperately needs a new lease of life
A cinema, cafes etc would be great, but Macc is not a large city with a lot of youngsters, so you need to keep things in perspective
There are lots of homes in the area that a large complex will effect, noise, litter and parking
The high street needs bringing into the 20th century
Independent shops should be encouraged by lower business tax until they become well established
Having only lived here for a year I am probably not the best person to comment, however having lived in Cambridge I can see similarities with Macc High Street and Mill Road
The only time Macc really comes alive is once a month, The Treacle Market
The Council needs to encourage independent local shops and forget city style entertainment complexes

By Susan Ahmed

Great idea the town needs an injection but not to the cost of loosing all those parking spaces. Why not put the much needed infrastructure in place first! more parking, better access roads a new ring road! to accommodate not just this project but all the additional new homes to be built in and around the area.

By Pauline

‘…the developer said existing car parking facilities in the town centre would “satisfactorily accommodate” the loss of Churchill Way’s car park.’

Wow. Well so long as the developers say the project they’re set to make a profit from doesn’t require extra parking, or even replace parking for the lost spaces then I guess we can take their word for it.

However, as I live in Macc I’d suggest they’re talking out of their hat, and trying to pull a fast one. When did they survey this? One mundane week day at 8am? Because it sure as hell wasn’t conducted on a Saturday, or especially when the treacle market is on.

By Paul

I do not understand how they say that there will be enough parking spaces when one of the largest will no longer be there Trying to encourage more people to the town but with no place for them to park is madness and when they come once and find they can not park they will go elsewhere and not return!!!

By Janet Clarke a

There is plenty of car parking bar humbug

By Grumpy Father Christmas

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