Didsbury Tesco car park could soon hold 95 homes

Dandara Living has launched a public consultation to turn part of an underutilised car park in East Didsbury into a seven-storey apartment complex.

According to Dandara, multiple studies have confirmed that the 332-space car park at the Parrs Wood Tesco Superstore only has a maximum of 211 cars when it is busiest. The proposed development will take away 71 of those spaces, leaving the Tesco car park with 261 which still means there is a surplus of 50 spots during peak times.

Architects Hodder and Partners designed the Dandara scheme, which is named Blackbird Yard.

Blackbird Yard will be a large L-shaped building covered in grey brick. Of the 95 proposed apartments, 32 will be one-bedroom flats, 51 will have two bedrooms and 12 will have three bedrooms. Each flat would have its own private terrace or balcony, built-in wardrobes and integrated kitchen appliances.

Dandara said that it is committed to providing 20% affordable housing as part of the scheme, with those units being offered at a discounted rent.

The building will also have a community space on the ground floor.

Active travel will be encouraged, with Dandara providing 95 cycle spaces. Designed to be suitable for tenants without cars, the scheme itself is close to public transport links including the East Didsbury Metrolink station and East Didsbury rail station.

The company plans on having a car club onsite as well, which would provide another alternative to car ownership.

Those who do have cars will have parking, with 27 parking spaces included in the site plans.

While Dandara will plan on removing 21 small and medium trees in the car park in order to enable building works, the developer said it would plant 36 new trees to replace them and improve the biodiversity in the area.

“Following the success of our Chapel Wharf development in Salford, we’re delighted to be unveiling these proposals to bring a Dandara Living scheme to the thriving East Didsbury community,” said Dandara planning director Rachel Allwood.

“The site is ideally located with neighbourhood facilities on the doorstep and quick and easy access into the city centre via public transport.

“We appreciate that local people will have questions about our plans,” Allwood continued. “We’re looking forward to discussing our ideas as part of this pre-application consultation and working in partnership with the local community to refine our plans.”

The consultation is open until 9 December, with Dandara hoping to submit a planning application in early 2022. Learn more about Blackbird Yard at blackbirdyard.info.

Your Comments

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Excellent stuff. It’s vital we start to densify our suburbs, especially in such a well-connected location.

By Anonymous

First Ryebanks and now this. Another beautiful green space awash with wildlife lost to development.

By Friends of Tesco Car Park

Great idea! Very popular area for graduates and there is definitely a shortage of flats in Didsbury at the moment.

By Matt

A very sensible plan to build apartments near to existing transport hubs and help reduce our over dependency on car travel.

By Janet McKenna

Too much emphasis on bikes and not enough car park space for tenants and visitors

By Mr Bond

Absolutely love this. Nice density and love the cycling provision. This is what’s need all across the region!

By Anonymous

“Active travel will be encouraged, with Dandara providing 95 cycle spaces”

How is one cycle parking space per flat – noting that the majority of them have 2 or 3 bedrooms – encouraging active travel? It needs 2 spaces per bedroom, integrated into the design of the building so that it is both secure and convenient. This isn’t encouraging active travel, it’s barely paying lip-service to it.

By the light of the moon

My main concern is the amount of congestion in this area is the highest already in the surrounding area. Also as with the tram I would imagine the footfall and parking issues was carried out at the height of the corona pandemic which would give a very false overview

By Carol Cra

Poor planning at a great location, minimum 75% of the apartments should have parking space and all space should have charging point installed or the provision for future installation, the ground floor and first floor should provide parking and bin storage and recycling space for new build apartments.

If no parking space is available for all apartments and visitors. Residents will ending up parking at tesco car park instead. Mobility is about moving people bicycle for commute is great if you have a office job.( if your job involves standing on you feet all day, the last thing you want on your way home is a bike.)

By Poor planning for the future.

Already a badly çongested area this will become a nightmare for local residents

By Anonymous

95 apartments with a minimum of two cars each is an extra 190 cars. This will aggravate the parking situation.

By Anon

Far too big for Didsbury, this is a nice suburb, not Ancoats

By Dan

While I applaud your efforts at trying to ensure green issues (cycling and trees) I feel the parking will be insufficient and intrude into Tesco’s parking availability, and increase traffic at Wilmslow Rd , which is already difficult to exit sometimes, It would add to the general congestionand.and I think people with cars will not shop at Tesco as there are plenty of alternative supermarketswithout traffic problems.

By Jackie Burns

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