PLANNING | Stockport greenlights £350m data centre

Great Places Housing Group’s pitch for 148 affordable apartments in the town centre and a McDonalds in Cheadle Hulme were also approved at Thursday’s planning committee meeting.

Here’s a review of the three major applications discussed and approved by Stockport Council – decisions that were in line with office recommendation.

Kenwood Point Data Centre

• Application reference number: DC/090411

During the meeting, Cllr David Wilson said he “welcomed” KAO Data’s plans for a 280,000 sq ft data centre in Reddish. Situated off Kenwood Road, the approved application includes the demolition of the existing 160,100 sq ft facility that currently occupies the nearly 10-acre site.

In its place, KAO will oversee the construction of a three-storey block that, with a capacity for 36MW of IT power, will operate as the largest data centre in the North of England – according to an economic report by Nicol Economics.

The data centre represents an investment of £350m according to that same report, with a potential to boost Stockport’s economy by £155m during its construction period. The building of the facility alone would create between 700 and 1,000 full-time jobs a year, while 80 jobs will be created when the centre is operational. This does not include another potential 260 jobs generated through the centre’s supply chain.

Wilson described the centre as “a big investment for Stockport”, a statement other councillors seemed to agree with as they unanimously passed the application.

JLL was the planning consultant for the scheme, which was designed by Hale. The project team also included transport consultant SLR, flood risk and remediation expert RSK, drainage strategist Abstruct, and ecology gurus ADAS.

Hoare Lea advised on air quality, NDY on energy and BREEAM standards. Tetra Tech handled lighting, EDP the arboricultural side of things, and Kathryn Sather Associates did heritage. Turner and Townsend drafted the construction method statement.

Read more about the project.

The scheme was designed by Paddock Johnson Partnerships. Credit: via Great Places

Affordable homes at King Street and Chestergate

• Application reference number: DC/088401

Great Places Housing Group got the unanimous go-ahead for its plans to construct 148 affordable apartments on the corner of King Street West and Chestergate in Stockport.

In order to proceed, the housing association will need to first demolish three buildings that currently occupy the site: a former newsagents, Mentor House, and the old Kidsaurus Play Centre.

When those have been razed, Great Places can progress its plans to construct two Paddock Johnson Partnerships-designed apartment blocks.

The first will be filled with 47 rent-to-buy apartments, as well as storage for 52 cycles, a post room, and a roof terrace. This block will step up from five to seven storeys in height, with a roof terrace and private balconies for those living on the sixth level.

The second will go from seven to eight storeys in height and contain 101 affordable rent flats. It will also have a roof terrace, space for 103 cycles to be stored, and a post room.

The two blocks will share public realm in between them, with access to a river walkway.

Of the 148 apartments, 59 are to have one bedroom while 89 will have two.

Cars will access the flats from Chestergate, with eight disabled spaces and one EV charging space available to them.

The total cost of the development is estimated to be £35m.

Great Places director of development Nick Gornall said the group was “delighted” by the committee meeting result.

“Securing the planning permission is the culmination of over two years of working closely with the council and other partners to ensure the proposals complement the Mayoral Development Corporation’s aspirations to develop Stockport’s Town Centre West area into a residential location of choice,” Gornall said. “The plans highlight the power of partnership working to deliver the long-term aspiration of building a resilient and vibrant community in the heart of the borough.”

Work is expected to start this summer on delivering the scheme.

In addition to Paddock Johnson, the project team included planner Savills, energy consultant Hurstwood Environmental Consulting, and TPM Landscape.

SK Transport Planning, Shape Consulting Engineers, Amenity Tree, GeoSmart, Miller Goodall, and RammSanderson also assisted. Aspin & Co did the viability statement.

Read more about the project.

Plans for a restaurant on the site were first mooted in 2000. Credit: via planning documents

McDonald’s at Stanley Green Retail Park

• Application reference number: DC/088368

This was the most contentious application of the meeting, with councillors sharing concerns over the impact the fast-food restaurant would have on traffic and the safety of school children studying nearby.

Noting that there was existing planning permission for a restaurant at the junction of Stanley Road and Wilmslow-Handforth Bypass, councillors realised that the principle for development was already established. That previous application, by the way, had been rejected in 2015 for similar reasons. The Planning Inspector later overturned that verdict.

With that knowledge in tow, councillors voted largely to approve the McDonald’s proposal.

The plan marks McDonald’s first foray into this part of Stockport, with the planning statement from Lichfields noting that the fast-food joint would be “a new local restaurant for residents”.

The proposed eatery will comprise 4,000 sq ft and operate 24/7 with a focus on takeaway.

Cars would access the facility from the slip road off the Stanley Road roundabout. Upon entering the premises, they would find 55 spaces to park, including four that were designated accessible and two with EV charging points. There would also be two motorcycle spaces and six for cycles.

The project team included Glanville, Practical Ecology, CDM Partnership, Hayden’s Arboricultural Consultants, LAUK Lighting, Redmore Environmental, Acoustic Associates South West, ADL Traffic and Highways, and Southern Testing Laboratories.

Read more about the project.