New retail park will create hundreds of jobs

A new £13 million retail development on the former Barracks Mill site in Macclesfield is set to go ahead.

Outline planning consent for the development was granted last year and the developer, Cedar Invest, has now submitted a reserved matters application for Cheshire East Council to consider in August.

The plans include a ‘bulky goods’ retail park on what is currently a derelict site off Black Lane, supported by smaller food and refreshments outlets.

The latest plans show approximately 130,000sq ft of new retail space on the site, together with a 369-space car park.

Developer Cedar Invest says the units will create around 100 jobs during construction, with hundreds more permanent positions once complete, and help regenerate a key part of Macclesfield town centre.

John Whateley, director of Cedar Invest, said: “The current site has been an eyesore for too long.

“This development will not only transform a gateway to Macclesfield, but will also create employment opportunities and help regenerate a significant site close to the town centre.

“The scheme has always had the support of the council’s planning department and, if we can secure consent on these extra details, we are keen to press ahead as quickly as possible to give those living in and around Macclesfield the retail facilities they want and deserve.”

The site has been derelict since fire tore through the old Barracks Mill buildings in 2004 and is now one of the council’s priority ‘gateway’ sites for redevelopment.

The council will now consider the detailed plans, with the target date for a decision being in late August.

If successful, Cedar Invest, which owns the site, hopes to appoint a contractor to begin work in autumn of this year, with the first stores opening in time for Christmas 2019.