Ask to spearhead regeneration of town centre

CHESHIRE East Council is to sell a car park in Macclesfield to make way for a major cinema and restaurant scheme aimed at revitalising the town.

It will offload Churchill Way car park to developer Ask Real Estate which will deliver a high-quality leisure-led scheme.

A six-screen cinema, restaurants, a retail unit and a café pod, designed around an area of quality public realm, is envisaged.

Cllr Don Stockton, Cheshire East cabinet member in charge of regeneration, said:  “We have said that we will regenerate the town and increase footfall for the benefit of retailers and businesses and this is the start of that process.

“The council remains fully committed to this journey and we will continue to drive forward a strategy to enhance the economic, environmental and social well-being of the town centre.”

The scheme will be subject to the normal planning process, which will commence once contracts are exchanged.

The council made it clear it was not looking for the highest financial offer, but one that shared the authority’s and stakeholders’ vision for a high-quality, regenerative and deliverable scheme.

Ask has appointed FaulknerBrowns Architects also appointed as lead architects on scheme.

Ask was selected following a thorough marketing and assessment process and was one of 19 offers submitted.

The company has a track record of delivering high-quality, transformational developments, including the First Street scheme on the southern approach to Manchester city centre.

The announcement follows the pledge made by Cheshire East Council last summer that it would look to facilitate a leisure-led scheme, following the withdrawal of the proposed Silk Street redevelopment.

Nick Hynes, chair of the Macclesfield Town Centre Vision Stakeholder Panel, said: “We have managed to attract a developer who has put forward a viable and imaginative scheme for the Churchill Way site.

“We had a really healthy level of interest from the development industry and I was impressed by the quality of a number of the submissions. I’d like to thank all those parties involved.”

“The marketing exercise has illustrated that there is significant demand among developers and leisure operators to locate in Macclesfield. We should grasp this opportunity with both hands.” 

 

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