Redevelopment of Bowdon’s Jubilee Centre moves forward

Trafford Council is looking to appoint an architect to draw up plans for Bowdon’s Jubilee Centre, four years after proposals to redevelop the site stalled in the face of community opposition.

The brief includes the existing community centre which sits next to the Cinnamon Club events venue.

The council, which owns most of the land between The Firs and St Mary’s Road, described the existing building as “outdated and in need of ongoing repair and investment”, with an opportunity to “maximise the site potential to release land for residential development”.

Options for the site could include housing and the construction of a new community centre, but with the condition that parking facilities for the Cinnamon Club and nearby houses is kept in place.

The council added soft market testing had shown “clear market interest” in the site, and that it would be looking to appoint a development partner to deliver the scheme. A contract notice has also been issued to find an architect to assist the council with drawing up a proposal for the site.

Trafford previously attempted to demolish the community centre and replace it with a new facility, and to sell part of the plot to make way for a housing development.

Put forward in 2015, these plans proved to be controversial with local residents slamming the proposals as “ludicrous” for looking to cut car parking spaces from 120 to 20.

Bowdon Conservation Group, which led the opposition to the original scheme, said that “pressure had increased” on parking in Bowdon since 2015, and added: “We will examine any new proposals carefully and may well choose to call a public meeting, as we did in 2015, to enable residents to hear directly from the local councillors and to make their views known.”

The Jubilee Centre is one of several sites being promoted for housing development by Trafford; At Stokoe Avenue on Altrincham’s Oldfield Brow, the council is looking to bring forward plans for the former allotments, which have largely remained untouched since closing around 30 years ago.

The council-owned land is being promoted for housing development, while there is also the potential for the site to house a new base for the Trafford Rowing Club along with community facilities. However, to bring forward development on this land, an adjoining strip of land designated as public open space will need to be acquired.