Nikal unveils revised Altair plans

Fresh plans for the £70m regeneration of Altrincham town centre are due to be submitted to Trafford Council by Manchester property developer Nikal.

The Altair scheme could transform a 4.5 acre site between Tesco and Altrincham Leisure Centre, providing a new gateway into the bus, tram and train station.

Plans include a new leisure centre and a range of restaurants, coffee shops and cafes aimed at local residents, while also attracting visitors from the wider Cheshire and Manchester areas.

The existing ice rink will remain in its current position and be extended to incorporate a new tenpin bowling alley.

Altair will also provide new 150 residential units, 35,000 sq ft of office space and up to 15 new retail units.

Previous plans for Altair included a £150m development which never got off the ground. The plans included a new site for a hospital, which is now being built in Railway Street.

Nikal managing director Nick Payne said: "Altair will regenerate a brownfield site that has been largely under utilised for many years and hopefully provide Altrincham with a fabulous leisure centre and sports centre.

"It will bring more customers to existing businesses and to the high street, which we believe will significantly benefit the town.

"Altair has been designed not as a single piece separate from the town but as the missing piece from the rejuvenation of Altrincham town centre.

"It will provide a bustling and vibrant atmosphere for people to enjoy a meal with family and friends and enhance the offering of Altrincham, allowing people to enjoy the existing areas as well as some of the new.

"Altair will provide a safe, bright and attractive new public avenue and public square for families to enjoy."

Trafford Council Leader and Chair of Altrincham Forward, Cllr Matt Colledge, said, "I am excited by the refreshed plans for Altair and the positive effect it will have on the town as a whole.

"A considerable effort has been made by Nikal and my officers to regain momentum on the scheme despite a challenging economic climate.

"This scheme is now more refined, and crucially deliverable, and in my view is a huge step forward in the rejuvenation of Altrincham.

"It now offers a very complementary approach to the town centre, with the mix of leisure uses and cafes bringing a much needed vibrancy to the area and will attract families to spend more time not just within Altair itself but across the town centre generally."

Work on site is expected to begin in early 2014 and be completed by 2017.