Macclesfield sites up for grabs for leisure scheme
TWO alternative sites in Macclesfield town centre are being offered for sale by Cheshire East Council for a leisure-led scheme to spearhead regeneration.
The potential sites identified are the Churchill Way car park and Duke Street car park.
The local authority says feedback from the recently-created Macclesfield Town Centre Vision Stakeholder Panel, set up to enable diverse local input into plans for the town, indicates there will be local support for the decision as well as for the principle of a sympathetic leisure-led scheme, potentially including a cinema, cafes and restaurants.
The move by the Council to secure development ‘as rapidly as practicable’, which was voted through at a meeting of Cabinet, follows the ending of the Silk Street development agreement with Wilson Bowden.
However, the final scheme will be decided after further consultation with local stakeholders to ensure it fits within the wider ‘Macclesfield Vision’.
Cheshire East Council leader Michael Jones said: “This Council is about actions, not just words – and we can now proceed with renewed purpose to unlock and realise the great potential of Macclesfield.
“This decision today is a watershed moment for the realisation of a leisure regeneration scheme for Macclesfield town centre and signals a new era.
“As the development agreement with Wilson Bowden has terminated, the Council can now go forward and actively test the market for interest from other potential developers, who may wish to invest in the town centre utilising some of the land, which has for many years been earmarked for the Silk Street scheme.
“We believe there is a strong market interest in this project, which will be central to delivering a town centre that the people of Macclesfield deserve.”
