PJ Livesey lines up Chorlton Cross application
Working with Greater Manchester Pension Fund, the developer wants to build 262 homes after demolition of the former shopping centre is complete.
Work is due to start shortly to clear the site and dismantle existing buildings following the submission to Manchester City Council of a prior notice for demolition in December.
Demolition is expected to last six months on a programme covering Graeme House, the precinct and several surface car parks.
The submitted plans will include:
- 262 homes, including 20% affordable homes, in a mix of tenures
- Around 38,000 sq ft of public open space
- A ‘Makers Yard’ and mix of retail spaces suitable for independents
- Up to 60 new trees, and an emphasis on retaining existing trees.
SJ Walchester is the demolition contractor. CBRE is advising on planning, with Feilden Clegg Bradley and landscape architect Randall Thorp also engaged.
Consultation was carried out in 2023 for the project, leading to changes in response to feedback. This inclided 7,000 sq ft more open space in the scheme, and Manchester Road being made a car-free, fully walkable green route through the site, with outdoor seating areas to encourage people to stop and dwell.
Feedback also led to the development of the Makers Yard element to accommodate smaller, independent businesses and complement the high street offer on Wilbraham Road. Feedback also contributed to all apartments having balconies or gardens, the affordable homes total, and an increase in public parking and accessible spaces.
Georgina Lynch, managing director at PJ Livesey, said: “We spent a long time consulting with local people and that feedback has been really important in helping to shape the plans. We’ve had lots of interest from people wanting to live in the new community but also some who wanted to see more shops at the site.
“We’re really excited to have been able to incorporate the Makers Yard which will provide a mix of spaces for smaller, independent retailers. We think that the final plans strike the right balance between providing much needed new homes, including affordable homes, in line with Manchester City Council’s aspirations for the site, alongside spaces for the community to enjoy like the green spaces and shops.”
The family-run PJ Livesey Group is based in the North West and has built up a track record over 45 years, often working on redevelopments of historic properties into new homes and redeveloping brownfield sites.
It was recently announced that the company has been selected as one of Homes England’s preferred delivery partners.
A Makers Yard is a key part of the project. Credit: via Font Comms
These balconies look great and the density is decent. This development should really improve the character of this area.
By Urbano
The Chorlton nimby’s won’t like this, because they don’t like any form of development.
By Anonymous
Handsome looking scheme and bigger changes following consultation than most developers would do. Personally, I think the revised scheme is much better: fewer townhouses (an inefficient use of precious land so close to a metro stop) replaced by more apartments; a small area set aside for shopper parking for those that need it; taking traffic away from the through road to create a high quality ped/cycle street through the scheme; etc. All v positive changes.
By YIMBY
Really good looking development, looking forward to this!
By Anonymous
Now a great looking scheme which has taken in a lot of the feedback. Hopefully this gets the centre of Chorlton back to being a place which is locally loved.
By Daniel
Great to see how the plans have evolved over the months! Wow, that’s a marked increase in new homes from c.200 originally to 262, seemingly all apartments now, no townhouses. The Makers Yard concept looks like a positive addition, next to the Costa that’s staying. Hopefully, the larger retail units along Barlow Moor Road will be adequate for the needs of retailers, although as things stand, Chorlton’s still going to lack the decent modern mid-sized ‘high-end’ supermarket that much earlier redevelopment proposals promised. Love the events space and the expanded linear park, car-free Manchester Road, extensive tree retention and planting – exciting stuff overall!
By Pragmatist
How many parking spaces will be available?
By Gigantic Steve
I’ll be surprised to see it happen, as it stands chorlton can’t even manage to stop re-working the same road works over and over again!
By Anonymous
Oh, digging the roads AGAIN!! No transport around Charlton again.Dont mention clean air! More pollution with standing traffic AGAIN Who’s thinking is this?
By Norman
Chorlton used to be a meaningful and useful district centre serving a large catchment. Whilst retail habits change, there is no reason why Chorlton cannot return to that. Units capable of enabling that would be helpful – space for a Boots, home bargains etc. We don’t need another Burton Road
By Anonymous
It looks good in general, but the Makers Yard is TINY. There needs to be more retail. Be nice if they could improve the neighbouring Chorlton Family Health Practice which feels like its falling apart.
By Peter
Nice – chorlton taking shape again. Kudos to the council
By Don cheglioni
Thank God PJ Livesey have been selected for this project. In the hands of most other developers this would risk being a gigantic missed opportunity. PJ Livesey can be trusted to deliver a considered high quality development which responds to the requirements of place and market.
By Anonymous
Good plans and like the support for small/local businesses. Absolutely do not allow any charity shops. Chorlton 4 banks needs serious regeneration starting with removing charity shops
By Anonymous
It looks awfull, totally enclosed by unattractive buildings . No room to breathe. This site is for 260 flats and houses. I would not feel comfortable being overlooked by people in balconies and houses with gardens just as a shopper it a private space for them, the whole thing is absurd. This is not a place where people come together, this is a built up housing estate with a few shops thrown in. There is not enough space unless there was about housing for about 50 not 260. Its all bunched together. There us no green space or community space, we are about to loose it all, will be claustrophobic and ugly. The parking will make things even worse, parking for 12 people is this a joke?
By Anonymous
Up to 60 trees planted? No more than this, so does that mean it might be 2 , can it not be stated that 60 or more trees planed. How many beautiful mature tree are going to be sawn down for this project? This is a major question?
By Anon
This is a shopping centre in a district centre protected by planning policy for good reason. You cannot just change its predominant use to residential and rip the heart out of a functioning town centre in the process.
By Anonymous
We lost our swimming pool and leisure centre to housing . The shame of it is the flats have paper thin walls very low ceilings, and the people are divided the 55s and the well over 55swithin the same building. I assume this will be the case with the social housing on the precinct, it not fit for purpose. The whole area will look shoddy after about 5 years.
By Anonymous
Wow 60 trees !
By Mr Greene