City’s scrap metal move approved despite opposition

MANCHESTER City Council has approved the relocation of a scrap metal business to make way for the regeneration of the former Clayton Aniline site by Manchester City FC.

The proposal went through despite opposition from some nearby businesses that believe it will have an impact on the value of their properties.

They are also concerned there will be no remediation at the site and there has been no environmental impact assessment.

The council approved a change of use application by Manchester City to allow Singleton’s Scrap Metals to move from its base on Score St, Clayton, to the council-owned land south of Ashton Old Road at Wolverton Street.

The plan is to free-up the Openshaw West site off Alan Turing Way for a major 80-acre regeneration scheme. The club wants to use the site for football and community facilities as well as commercial development.

Singleton’s will be removing oil from cars, acids from car batteries and gases from fridges but the council said an environmental impact assessment was not required.

In a report prepared ahead of a planning meeting on June 30 it said: “The proposal will bring back into productive use a previously developed site which has been vacant for a considerable period of time.

“It has been demonstrated that the proposal will not have any undue harmful impacts on the residential amenity of residential properties situated on Ashton Old Road or on the visual amenity of the Kay Street industrial area.”