Macclesfield retail park approved on appeal

Planning permission has been granted for a 140,000sq ft retail park in Macclesfield.

The scheme is on a 6.7-acre former industrial site north of the town centre, adjacent to the junction between the A523 The Silk Road and the B5470 Hurdsfield Road.

It will incorporate four retail units, a coffee pod and a flexible food outlet.

Cedar Invest secured the permission, having first submitted an outline planning application in December, 2015.

It was rejected by the planning committee, contrary to officer recommendation and the advice of two independent planning consultants.

The committee claimed the scheme would have a significant adverse impact on the town centre, despite the expert confirmation that there was no such threat.

The decision was subsequently appealed by Cedar and an inquiry was held in July, during which the key issue was the effect of the proposed scheme on the vitality and viability of Macclesfield town centre.

The appeal was allowed – and outline permission for the scheme granted – on Wednesday (September 27), noting that the proposal would not have a significant adverse impact on the town centre.

Harry Spawton, partner at Gerald Eve who advised Cedar Invest on the planning application, said: “The inquiry’s decision is a victory for common sense and overturns a planning committee decision that flew in the face of not just the planning officer’s recommendations, but expert advice.

“The former employment land on which the scheme will be located is not only contaminated and in need of significant remediation work, but also suffers from vandalism and anti-social behaviour. This scheme will regenerate the land, and provide a vibrant addition to Macclesfield’s retail offer that makes a significant contribution to the local economy.”

Cedar Invest was supported by Gerald Eve as planning consultant, Alyn Nicholls Associates as retail planning consultant and Croft Transport Solutions as highways consultant.

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