Royal London masterplan removes site from Green Belt to build houses, hotel & offices

Royal London, in collaboration with Cheshire East Council, has produced a masterplan that will guide future development at the Royal London site.

The Development Framework will be considered by the Council's portfolio holder for housing and planning, Cllr Ainsley Arnold, on Monday, 19th June, who will decide whether to approve the document for public consultation.

The masterplan will enable the delivery of office space, housing, improved transport links and a wide range of amenities including a hotel and restaurant to support future occupiers.

The Royal London site, which is Wilmslow's largest single employment location - accommodating more than 1,200 workers - has been allocated for a mix of uses in the Cheshire East Local Plan which the Council says provides an opportunity to create a new vibrant mixed use quarter for Wilmslow that will retain and attract the highest quality businesses and talent.

The emerging Cheshire East Local Plan Strategy, planned for adoption in this summer, also promotes the removal of the current Royal London campus, together with land to the east and land to the west of Alderley Road, from the Green Belt.

According to the masterplan, at the heart of the vision for the Royal London site is the aspiration to create a 'Living Campus' that delivers a mix of uses as part of a dynamic business led environment. As well as providing a thriving environment for business 'the living campus' is also a destination that offers an integrated approach to living, working and relaxing.

The purpose of the public consultation will be to seek the views of the local community and other key stakeholders on the guidance contained in the Development Framework. Once all comments have been received, these will be considered by the Council and any necessary revisions will be made to the Development Framework.

A revised document will then be put before the Council's Cabinet for final approval and endorsement. If endorsed, the document would then become a material consideration in the determination of any future planning applications made at the Royal London site.

Updated Monday, 19th June - The Council's portfolio holder for housing and planning, Cllr Ainsley Arnold has approved the Royal London Development Framework for publication and consultation.

Tags:
Cheshire East Council, Local Plan, Royal London
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Comments

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

Fiona Doorbar
Saturday 17th June 2017 at 6:02 am
Where , in all the recent proposals for new housing in large numbers, is the provision for schooling?
Nick Jones
Saturday 17th June 2017 at 7:35 am
Well this hasnt happened overnight has it ? ( refer to previous comments in relation to why an access road was now being sought from the by-pass...! )
Hoodwinked ??
DELETED ACCOUNT
Saturday 17th June 2017 at 2:11 pm
One sentence told me everything I needed to know:

"Royal London, in collaboration with Cheshire East Council, has produced a masterplan".
Mark Goldsmith
Monday 19th June 2017 at 10:54 am
How much money will Cheshire East get from the governments New Home Bonus?

The chances are they will get £ millions from central government for approving this but Wilmslow won't see a penny of it. We will just get the loss of the green belt, more traffic, more pressure on schools, doctors and local services.

When will Cheshire East start listening to the local community and keep our green fields in tact?
Nick Jones
Monday 19th June 2017 at 12:22 pm
@ Mark, you hit the very nub of the issue £Cash. Profit doesn't appear as one of the 'exceptional' reasons that land can be removed from ‘Green belt’ status protection in the NPPF. http://bit.ly/2srQKsr
This proposal clearly evidences why CEC chose to ignore the Local Plan. The PM herself recently reaffirmed a Conservative commitment to protect green belt, Yet it appears our Lyme Green Cllr and others from within her party @ CEC have a long held contrary position, demonstrated on several occasions, buy means of their vote’s to remove Green belt status from around Wilmslow. As this erosion continues in CEC, With Non-compliance to Govt planning policy ignoring the ‘exceptional circumstance’ criteria / Ignoring Brownfield development / Local Plan demonstrably dismissed / Adlington “Never build on these fields” Road / Cllrs voting to remove Green Belt protection, that perhaps a CEC Cllr would like to now explain ? The referred ‘MASTERPLAN’ would seem in some advanced stage from this report. Just how many times has it been sought to develop R/L site ? .. It clearly evidences why CEC chose to ignore the Local Plan... Machavelli in the 1500’s identified that “Occasionally words must serve to veil the facts.. if it should be noticed, excuses must be at hand to be produced immediately.”.. and so it begins…
QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES ?
Richard Slater
Monday 19th June 2017 at 2:05 pm
No mention of developer?
Christine McClory
Wednesday 21st June 2017 at 7:39 pm
Can I suggest that the field across the A34 from RL be used as part of the Masterplan for integrating work and leisure, as a field to relax in, walk around, maybe play football, commune with nature, meditate...... I understood that it was under a covenant? Trust? for NO Building. No doubt any information on this, as with the information on the gift of Lindow Common and it's original plaque (note the replacement plaque doesn't fit the space on the plinth!!)... went missing in the fire at Green Lane Council offices in the 60s.
Simon Worthington
Thursday 22nd June 2017 at 7:37 am
Perhaps the time is approaching where the silent majority take a leaf out of the lefties handbook to rid ourselves of this bunch. This is nothing but a money driven stitchup. I warned five years ago that this area is finished as a pleasant place to live and when the flight starts and house prices drop hopefully a few greedy devopers will go under.