Further delays on controversial plans for expansion of Handforth Dean retail park

by Lisa Reeves

Wednesday 19^th April 2017

Wed 19^th Apr 2017

The Strategic Planning Committee were due to determine plans which would significantly expand the retail park at Handforth Dean today, Wednesday, 19th April.

Four separate planning applications were on the agenda for today's meeting - which if approved will add a large number of retail units along with restaurants, cafes, drive-thus and parking adjacent to the existing Marks and Spencer and Tesco stores.

At their March meeting, members of the Strategic Planning Board decided to defer a decision on Orbit Developments' application, to demolish the existing warehouses at the junction of Earl Road and Epsom Avenue and replace them with a parade of six units and a standalone unit, until their next meeting.

This decision was taken so it could be looked at alongside three applications from Alderley Edge based company CPG Development Projects for a retail and leisure development on a Council owned site at Earl Road.

However, having agreed that all the four retail applications relating to Handforth Dean should go to the same committee, so they could assess the cumulative impact, a decision was taken just prior to the Easter break to withdraw all four applications from today's meeting because the council felt there was insufficient time for the various parties to consider the retail impact report.

Therefore it was agreed that the four applications would be deferred until the next Strategic Planning Committee meeting on May 24th.

Tags:: CPG Development Projects, Handforth Dean, Handforth Dean Shopping Park, Orbit Developments, Planning Applications

Comments

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Jonathan Hayes

Thursday 20^th April 2017 at 10:42 am

As I work just off Earl Road I see the traffic congestion on a daily basis and its not good. From the lights at the junction of Stanley Road and Earl Road the tailbacks regularly reach back of M&S, and the tailbacks from the M&S roundabout at the bypass regularly meet the Pets@Home offices. Would it not be a good idea to sort the traffic flows now to accommodate the existing traffic before introducing more traffic and vehicles not just from the general public but also the HGV's that have to deliver to the existing businesses? I may be stating the obvious but if more retail units are built and more cars visit the increasing car parks then how is any of this going to work or succeed if no one can get in or out of the numerous complexes????? Someone please enlighten me?