Site LPS 13: South Macclesfield Development Area

The development of the South Macclesfield Development Area over the Local Plan Strategy period will be achieved through:

  1. The delivery of around 1,050 dwellings;
  2. Provision of:
    1. Replacement playing fields, green infrastructure and open space to offer multi sports and recreational opportunities including a new pavilion / changing rooms;
    2. Class A3 / A4 public house and restaurant;
    3. Class A3 / A5 drive-through restaurant or hot food takeaway; and
    4. Class D2 health club / gym facility;
  3. Provision of a new Class A1 superstore with a net sales area of up to 5,000 square metres.  The majority of the net sales floorspace should be dedicated for convenience goods footnote 89;
  4. Provision of around 5 hectares of employment land and employment related uses;
  5. Provision of a new primary school or contributions towards educational facilities;
  6. Potential relocation of Macclesfield Town Football Club;Incorporation of green infrastructure;
  7. Pedestrian and cycle links to new and existing residential areas, shops, schools and health facilities; and
  8. On site provision, or where appropriate, relevant contributions towards highways and transport, education, health, open space, community and sports facilities.

Site Specific Principles of Development

  1. Delivery of Link Road between Congleton Road and London Road.
  2. Existing trees, water courses and natural habitats are to be retained and enhanced as appropriate.
  3. Necessary infrastructure, open space and structural planting to include additional tree planting must be provided.
  4. The north / north-east portion of the site is most suitable for residential development. Proposals should take account of the scale, massing and density of the existing adjacent properties and access should be taken from the new link road. Site layouts should preserve the amenity of existing properties.
  5. The site is expected to provide affordable housing in line with the policy requirements set out in Policy SC 5 'Affordable Homes';
  6. Commercial, convenience retail and leisure development will be appropriate on the western end of the site.
  7. The south-east part of the site provides an excellent opportunity for the provision of a new stadium facility for Macclesfield Town Football Club. There would also be an opportunity, to the west of the Stadium, to provide training facilities along with car parking which could serve the whole site.
  8. The form of development should endeavour to retain, where appropriate, much of the existing tree cover which is present on site – in particular on the southern boundary. Pedestrian and cycle links to existing routes and the proposed parcels of development should be provided, set within greenways which are safe, attractive and comfortable for users.
  9. A desk based archaeological assessment is required for the site, with appropriate mitigation being carried out, if required.
  10. A detailed site-specific flood risk assessment should be prepared.
  11. The retention and/or replacement of the indoor and outdoor sports facilities should be in accordance with the findings of an adopted, up to date and robust needs assessment.
  12. The site will be developed only where it can be demonstrated that there is no significant harm on the Danes Moss SSSI, particularly in relation to changes in water levels and quality, species populations and recreational pressures. This should include a full assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of the development on the features of special interest. Where impacts after mitigation cannot be avoided, development proposals will not be permitted.
  13. A minimum of a Phase 1 Preliminary Risk Assessment for contaminated land should be carried out to demonstrate that the site is, or could be made, suitable for use should it be found to be contaminated. Further work, including a site investigation, may be required at a pre-planning stage, depending on the nature of the site.

Justification

15.190 This site has been allocated for a mix of uses including employment and shopping purposes since 1997, but has not come forward for development due to a combination of site conditions, market demand and competition pressures from other employment locations within the borough.

15.191 A mixed use allocation including a number of higher-value land uses including residential and Class A1 convenience retail is therefore considered to be crucial in enabling this site to come forward for development within the plan period.

15.192 Residential development will play a key role in achieving development on this site but the density of the proposals will need to be carefully balanced so as to achieve viability whilst ensuring the development is of a sustainable and high quality design that will be in keeping with the semi rural character of this particular area.

15.193 Due to the scale of the development and its location on the urban fringe the retention of large areas of open space and play facilities across the site will be considered important for recreation purposes.

15.194 The site has been subject to a long-standing allocation for Class A1 retailing since 1997 (subsequently carried forward in the 2004 Local Plan Update) with the South Macclesfield Development Area Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG – adopted November 1998) identifying that a Class A1 food superstore with a net sales area of 2,787 square metres (30,000 sq. ft.) would be appropriate.

15.195 The 2011 Town Centres Study identifies that there is a significant under-supply of convenience goods floorspace in Macclesfield with existing large out-of-centre superstores identified to be significantly overtrading.  Even taking account of planned commitments, a significant quantitative and qualitative based need is identified by the study for a new Class A1 superstore in the town to re-distribute trade whilst enhancing genuine competition and choice for local residents.

15.196 A new Class A1 superstore on the site would therefore realise the long-standing Local Plan allocation and address the current spatial deficiency in main food shopping provision in the south of Macclesfield.  The store would meet a ‘location-specific’ need and serve the planned new residential development as well as encouraging sustainable convenience shopping patterns.

15.197 Given the planned regeneration of Macclesfield town centre, it is important that the proposed Class A1 superstore predominantly meets convenience shopping needs and the council will seek to control the quantum of non-food retail floorspace via appropriate planning conditions.

15.198 The socio-economic profile of south Macclesfield suggests that there are pockets within this part of the town which are most likely to suffer from deprivation.  The allocation of employment land within this site will help to improve access to employment opportunities for local residents and also contribute to the town's overall employment needs.

15.199 The site is in close proximity to the Danes Moss SSSI and any new development will need to be respectful of this fact. The council will expect all existing landscape features to be retained, where possible, as well as the retention of any trees subject of a Tree Preservation Order unless there are exceptional circumstances for their removal. An extensive network of green infrastructure will be required on site, particularly to the south in order to integrate the site successfully into the area and to help mitigate any impacts on the SSSI.  A comprehensive landscaping scheme will be required to soften the urban edge and ensure the site responds positively to the character and appearance of this area as well as providing an appropriate buffer between the built form and the SSSI. Dependant on the layout of the site a structural landscape buffer with appropriate planting may also be considered necessary adjacent to the railway line in order to assist mitigation of noise.

15.200 The site has also been identified as a site having ecological potential. A more detailed consideration should be given to this through the submission of an ecological survey and incorporation of mitigation measures.

15.201 The site will be served by a new link road between Congleton Road (A536) and London Road (A523). The road will be constructed in a phased manner, proportionate to the development of adjacent housing, retailing and business. The development of the eastern portion of the site will require completion of the link road to London Road. No development is expected to be served from the existing road network to the north.

15.202 Appropriate off and on site highway works will be necessary to enable sustainable linkages between the site and the town centre without exacerbating current traffic congestion pressures. The council will expect cycle and pedestrian routes to ensure sustainable modes of transport are encouraged.

15.203 Due to the scale of this development and sensitive constraints, a master plan should be submitted so the site may be planned in a co-ordinated and comprehensive manner.

15.204 Any replacement and/or new sports provision should be in accordance with an adopted up to date and robust Playing Pitch Strategy and Indoor Sports Strategy and with Policy SC 2 ‘Indoor and Outdoor Sports Facilities’.

15.205 The council expects that the following are considered in the context of the ecological value of the site due to its proximity to the Danes Moss SSSI:

Indicative Site Delivery

(Footnote 89) Convenience goods defined to comprise the following Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) categories: Food and non-alcoholic beverages, Tobacco, Alcoholic beverages (off-trade), Newspapers and periodicals, and Non-durable household goods. 

Policy information

 

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