£15m redevelopment to revive Altrincham

NEW proposals have been put forward that could see a £15m revamp of Altrincham’s market area.

The plans, considered by Trafford Council’s executive last night, include a refurbished marketplace and a new library.

The proposals have been put together by Altrincham Forward – dubbed a “working think tank” which includes council leaders and key property figures such as Bruntwood chief executive Chris Oglesby and Ask Developments managing director Ken Knott.

It was set up to try and revitalise the town which had a shop unit vacancy rate of 30% in 2010.
 
Trafford Council will now begin developing the plans in more detail with developer Citybranch, and commissioning designs for the market and the surrounding area.

Councillor Matt Colledge, chair of Altrincham Forward and leader of Trafford Council, said: “This is a major agreement and a significant step on the road to revitalising Altrincham.

“Our aim is to increase footfall, provide better community facilities and improve business performance for everyone, from market traders to national retailers and for our local bars and restaurants.

“We are now looking forward to seeing if people agree with the plans, fine tuning them accordingly, and working through the details, so we can deliver a quality scheme for the people of Altrincham.”

Adam Gross, managing director of Citybranch, said: “As a business we are absolutely committed to Altrincham and recognise the huge potential of this area. We have been working closely with Altrincham Forward and Trafford Council for some time now to help shape these plans, and it’s great news they have been approved.

“These proposals will help to drive forward the regeneration of Altrincham, and it is innovative working arrangements of this nature, which we believe can help local authorities deliver positive change in the communities they serve.”