Plans for new 90 space car park

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A local businessman has submitted a planning application for a newcar park which he says will not totally resolve the parking crisis in Wilmslow but is a step in the right direction.

Mike Cooksey of Village Heritage Homes is applying to build a car park on land he owns to the rear of Heald Court on Hawthorn Lane. The site, which lies within a conservation area and is designated as residential land, has been vacant for almost 30 years.

The proposed car park would provide around 90 long stay spaces which are intended for business contract users. However, it may be possible to use some or all of the spaces for public parking at weekends.

Mr Cooksey said "There can be little doubt that car parking in and around Wilmslow town centre is in crisis. It is frequently the number one talking point.

"Although the Council is investigating the situation, as far as we can glean, the report being prepared will have limited effect even if all the anticipated recommendations are acted upon."

He added "The report is not demand led and looks only at potential for land etc in public ownership, with minimal reference to managing what is there already.

"Crucially, there are current proposals for traffic restrictions on key feeder and residential roads in the town centre, which would remove up to 254 spaces currently available. In addition, the potential redevelopment of the Tesco site would appear to remove 20 on-street spaces and create a demand for more off-site parking for the mixed development, including a hotel.

"This parking proposal considers the potential for a key edge of centre location in private ownership and that would offer a significant level of off-street parking provision that could be quickly delivered at no cost to the public purse."

The site would be lit by low level down lighters with elevated cameras located on the boundary.

Several previous applications to develop the site for residential use have been refused on Conservation Area grounds and subsequent appeals have been dismissed.

The plans can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council Planning Portal using reference 20/0182M. The last date for submitting comments is 27th February and a decision is expected by 12th March.

Tags:
Car Parking, Hawthorn Lane, Planning Applications
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Simon Langdon
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 2:02 pm
I am pleased to see that the planning application for long term parking for 90 cars is on the table again .I know this won’t solve the parking crisis but it’s a step in the right direction .
Clive Cooksey
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 3:31 pm
What an absolute disaster of an idea. Hawthorn Lane is already mega busy, and the nearby junction of Kennerley's lane is an accident waiting to happen. Add to that business traffic using the lane (note the name LANE, not road) and Mums & Dad back & forth with there young ones to school. As a resident of Heald Court, the exit onto the road is dangerous because of parked traffic on Hawthorn Lane making it difficult to see oncoming traffic. The idea by the owner of the land is not how can I help the community, but how much can I make out of the mad idea. Finally the drive surface of Heal Court is not built for 90 vehicles parading up and down. I presume Mr Langdon the previous letter writer does not live within this area.
Rick Andrews
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 3:33 pm
How would this area be secured at night to prevent use by skateboarders, and kids with nowhere to go causing a nuisance? Not good for the neighbours?
Simon Atkins
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 3:44 pm
dreadful idea
Deborah Slade
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 3:46 pm
As a resident of Hawthorn Lane, I agree with Clive and Nick- I cannot think of one positive point for this proposal.
Also- what about car use and pollution? Is it right that we should be encouraging even more cars to come into Wilmslow?
I can only presume that Mr Cooksey has submitted this plan to provoke the
council into agreeing to a residential scheme after it has refused all his
plans over the past few years
David Smith
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 6:02 pm
Building car parks in the back of gardens in central Wilmslow is not a solution. What about the neighbours for a start and the conversion of an established habitat of gentle nature into a jungle of the concrete variety sort of severely goes against the path we must be taking for a greener future.
Our best long term tansport solution is for a Tbus network linking our towns. See: http://www.tbus.org.uk/home.htm
Richard Birchall
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 6:32 pm
Large car park bang in the middle of a lovely Conservation Area - I don't think so!
Helen Hawkins
Wednesday 29th January 2020 at 9:54 pm
Car park in the back garden of a block of flats, and in the middle of a residential homes is a mad idea! I wondered if the land owner would be happy to have a car park for 90 cars right next to his house?
Not to mention the kind of traffic jam it would create for Hawthorn Lane. As it is at the moment, there is traffic jam on this road from the end of Broad Walk all the way to the end of Hawthorn Lane in the morning, as well as Kennerley Lane.
Why do we have conservation areas? so that someone who cares only about making money can change it?
Perhaps council should be looking at park and ride option?
John Clegg
Thursday 30th January 2020 at 2:14 pm
I'm not agreeing with the proposal but, if passed and approved, it might just work if there is a clause banning all parking on Hawthorn Lane.
That would free up a road to narrow to allow parking and traffic flow - but, of course, it might also encourage speeding.
Gary Weir
Thursday 30th January 2020 at 2:42 pm
How anyone can support a proposal that would see an environmental habitat (known to have badger, fox, mole, hedgehog, newt and many bird species as residents) creted over and made into a 90 space car park is beyond me. Surely there are enough brown field sites in or around the town that could be adapted to meet the town’s parking needs.

Also consider for a moment the environmental impact on local residents from even more cars on their road. The extra noise, fumes and light pollution would not be insignificant.

As others have mentioned the congestion on Hawthorn Lane can be horrendous at work/school run times so adding another 180+ vehicle movements at these times would make things a lot worse.

And whilst one can sympathise with the plight of any Wilmslow resident whose road/driveway is hampered from daytime car parkers, it would be contrary to support a proposal that could turn green belt land into a car park in what is a wonderful residential and Conservation area of the town.
Brian Fox
Thursday 30th January 2020 at 5:07 pm
John Clegg,

Hawthorn Lane is a residential street. The very last thing it needs is more traffic, quite the opposite in fact.
John Clegg
Thursday 30th January 2020 at 8:30 pm
Brian, I couldn't really agree more.
Stuart Redgard
Thursday 30th January 2020 at 10:42 pm
Mike Cooksey of Village Heritage Homes is entitled to make an application.

However, I see no reason for this application being granted as it is NOT in line with the policies of either the Cheshire East Council Local Plan Strategy or the Wilmslow Neighbourhood plan,
Stuart Redgard
Thursday 30th January 2020 at 11:09 pm
#Gary Weir

Just to clarify that the proposed site IS NOT in the Greenbelt. But it is a greenfield site in a conservation area.

See https://bit.ly/36BY6fi

and use postcode SK9 5DG to zoom in.
David Smith
Friday 31st January 2020 at 8:49 am
I am pleased this application has been made. It demonstrates the crafty lengths that some 'businessmen/persons" are willing to go just to make more £££'s for themselves in the guise of helping solve the nuisance parking situation that is blighting most towns in this country. I don't think it is in any way considerate of the environment or altruistic - I mean, I don't for one second think that Mike Cooksey is offering to build this car park at his own expense and then offer FREE parking on a 'first come first served' basis to the general public. He would appear bent on plonking brick boxes via his "Village Heritage Homes" onto bits of our town just so he can make more money for HIMSELF and then find small patches of quiet backwaters to destroy the peace and quiet.
Anyone else have any views on this?
Don’t hold back now.
Mark Grover
Friday 31st January 2020 at 3:46 pm
Over the last 20 years the developer, Village Heritage, has made numerous attempts to make money from developing this site. So far these applications have all been rejected by Cheshire East Council and at appeal stage by the Planning Inspectorate.

The developers are now using the current car parking issues in Wilmslow to make an opportunistic attempt to galvanise some local support to help get their plans approved. How can it possibly be right to develop this site into a 90 bay car park in a conservation area which is already struggling with traffic congestion issues? I hope the Council sees the plans for what they are and reject this application in its entirety.
Clive Cooksey
Sunday 2nd February 2020 at 10:31 am
Its wonderful to see so many readers against this man Cooksey. Can I appeal to everyone who is against this idea to look up the North East Cheshire planning website and view plan application 20/0182M. Please then add a letter of objection that will go before the planning committee.
I would just like to say at this stage, that I also bear the same surname as this man. BUT I am not related to him in any way, and judging by his words, deeds & actions, I wish I was called Smith!!
Sally Gardiner
Thursday 6th February 2020 at 9:48 am
A flyer entitled "Parking Crisis" was posted through the doors of residents on Beech Lane, Bourne St, Buckingham Rd and possibly other locations, last week. Given the content, I'll suggest that it came from Village Heritage or associates of, and asks for comments of support for the Heald Court Planning application. I am doubtful that this flyer was posted to the residents of Kennerley Rd, Carwood Rd, Hawthorne Lane or areas in the immediate vicinity of Heald Court. Looking at the planning page today, the majority of positive support for this application comes from Buckingham Rd and Bourne St residents.

If you disagree with the application, then register this with Cheshire East NOW - planning application ref: 20/0182M

I live on one of the above named roads, and have cars parked blocking safe access from my driveway daily from 05.30am (due to several tenants of Blackbox, Beech Lane, who operate 24/7). The number of cars dumped on both sides of the pavement at the entrance to Lindfield North is just ridiculous - a new house is being built in the area and on a regular basis, wagons and essential deliveries can not be made, despite polite notices being left on windscreens. The area is never visited by parking enforcement nor actioned by the police, despite the fact the station is at the top of the road and they drive past several times a day.

There is a car valeting business who set up every Friday on the double yellow lines on Beech Lane, on the blind corner outside the police station, servicing vehicles from Black Box. I called in to the police station to ask they could be moved on, as its an accident waiting to happen. I even walked outside with an officer so they could see what was going on but was told it was not within their remit and to contact parking enforcement - which I did to no avail.

Whilst I desperately want the parking situation resolved in the immediate area I live in, shifting this issue to a clearly unsuitable privately owned site is not the solution. In a few years time when the owner applies for change of use to a residential development, we will be back to square 1.

I submitted my comments and thoughts in respect of the 2019 parking survey and hope that a suitable solution will be published soon.
Richard Dyson
Friday 7th February 2020 at 11:41 am
As a current Heald Court resident, I read this ridiculous Mike Cooksey car park PR article and apparent remedy to his imaginary Wilmslow parking problem with absolute horror.
The current Kennerley, Hawthorne Lane rush hour rat run is highly dangerous for pedestrians and completely out of control. All the pavements need widening to save us all from endless high powered SUV 4x4s bouncing over speed humps and speeding and forcing through narrow gaps, with no regard at all for either local residents or anyone actually brave enough to take a stroll into Wilmslow town centre , from what is supposed to be still a conservation area.
Hopefully Cheshire East Council will deal with the rat run issue very soon for all our sakes. As for Mike Cooksey`s new car park idea. For almost half a mile beginning behind Sainsbury`s and Hoopers, all the way across to Wilmslow train station, there are literally hundreds of car parking spaces available for any town centre visitors.
Mike Cooksey, if you really have such a drive to solve your imaginary Wilmslow parking crisis. How about you concrete over your own land for car parking just outside the town, Then run a new Park and Ride scheme into Wilmslow...?, I`m sure we would all approve of that idea.
Paul Maddock
Saturday 8th February 2020 at 2:35 pm
Historic England says "Conservation areas exist to manage and protect the special architectural and historic interest of a place - in other words, the features that make it unique." - https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/what-is-designation/local/conservation-areas/

90 place car park in no way is in keeping with this.

Wilmslow needs parking to encourage town centre usage, but not at this location disrupting the very essence of "Conservation Area".

Right idea - totally wrong location.
Ann Davies
Sunday 16th February 2020 at 10:54 am
I would like to say that the plan for a car park on Hawthorn Lane in the
middle of a residential area is outrageous it would cause chaos and is
totally unacceptable.