Peaks & Plains sets 750-home target

Brownfield development in Macclesfield is to play a key role in targets set out by Peaks & Plains Housing Trust in the organisation’s five-year plan.

The document, released this week, maps out a total of £30m to be invested across both Cheshire East and High Peak.

As well as improvements to the existing housing stock, P&P intends to build 750 homes for affordable, private rent and sale. The plans include regenerating Moss Estate and injecting new life into derelict buildings in Macclesfield town centre.

Specifically, a spokesman told Place North West, this includes the redevelopment of three burnt-out mills in the town. The organisation will focus its efforts on areas it is already operating in, rather than following other social landlords in expanding geographically, the spokesman added.

Development in Macclesfield, with its expansion area to the south and proposals in the works for various central sites, is strategically important to Cheshire East Council, which has become embroiled in legal battles with several housebuilders over the strength of its five-year housing supply.

The Trust said that over the past year it has invested £2.7m on housing improvements, supporting well over 9,000 people through its wellbeing services, and building 117 new homes.

Tim Pinder, chief executive, said: “Over the next five years we will continue to be a great landlord and deliver first class services to new and existing customers.

“We want to create homes in neighbourhoods that are sustainable, vibrant, well connected and thoughtfully designed.

“We want to move away from a one size fits all approach and use technology to enable us to better understand customers’ individual needs. We’ll be working in partnership with experts across all we do to ensure we create great places to live and deliver first rate services.”

The organisation currently owns and manages more than 5,000 homes.