As reported last week Royal London has submitted two planning applications to Cheshire East Council for homes at its site on Alderley Road.
The first application is for up to 60 homes on land opposite the Royal London Campus, to the west of Alderley Road and the second application is for 120 homes on the northern part of the campus site - both of which have now been added to the Cheshire East planning portal.
The outline planning application, reference 17/5837M, is seeking permission for a new residential development on The 4.45 hectares site which is owned by Royal London. The land has recently been removed from the Green Belt and is included in the Local Plan with an allocation of 75 dwellings.
Initially, Royal London are proposing to build 60 properties along with access on the northern part of the site, with an area at the south of the site identified for future development of up to 15 additional properties (shaded orange on the second slide above).
Access into the site would be off Alderley Road, by widening the existing entrance point and providing a dedicated right turn lane when travelling south from Wilmslow.
A pedestrian and cyclist route is also suggested through the proposed development along with a new pedestrian crossing north of the site entrance.
The outline planning application, reference 17/5838M, for a residential development, 120 properties, along with the access roads and landscaping on the Royal London campus.
These properties would be a maximum of 4 stories high along the southern boundary and 3 stories elsewhere.
The illustrative plan contains a mix of property types including 2, 3, and 4 bed properties along with 1 and 2 bed apartments.
A new access is proposed off Alderley Road by creating a new entrance point with a dedicated right turn lane, for vehicles travelling from the south.
A spokesperson for Royal London said "Although the masterplans are indicative at this stage in the planning process, a range of housing is envisaged to meet a variety of local needs, delivering the highest quality throughout in keeping with local character and styles and respecting the landscape and heritage strengths of the Campus. One and two bed apartments suitable for first time buyers, or residents seeking to downsize, as well as three and four bed homes for growing families and young professionals, are all expected to be part of the mix."
Despite having been granted planning permission in 2016 for a new office development at their Alderley Road campus, Royal London Group confirmed last month that it is relocating to the Parklands building at Alderley Park.
The planning application can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning references 17/5837M and 17/5838M. The last date for submitting comments is 21st December and a decision is expected by 16th February 2018.
Both planning applications are currently scheduled to be determined by the Strategic Planning Board on 31st January 2018.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
RL & the developers will make a fortune out of another ‘bland’ boxy estate and add yet more traffic chaos to the already grid locked roads.
I look forward to walking past the static traffic on Alderley Road
I find it hard to imagine how Cheshire East and its four Conservative councillors for Wilmslow could have been more inept or more devious than over this matter. Either way, they are not fit to represent our town. Residents of Wilmslow campaigned at the time that Royal London could just leave anyway, unless they gave a binding commitment to stay in the town once planning permission was granted. And guess what...
Had they any sense of shame, Cllrs Menlove, Brooks, Barton & Stockton would have resigned by now over their monumental incompetence or dishonesty over this development. Heaven knows how dreadful they must be on other issues then if this is how they perform on the big ones.
However, it seems they will brazen it out till May 2019, when the town can tell them at the ballot box what it really thinks of their abject failure.
Mark Goldsmith - Residents of Wilmslow
The developers will claim that 22% to 30% will be "affordable homes".
In reality, (seen at Stanneylands and Addlington Road) the 22% means 22 x 1 bed flats and 78 x 4 or 5 bed Executive homes. So less than 10% of the building space will be allocated to "Affordable Homes".
These "Affordable" flats will be sold on mass to a housing association, so tough luck if any of your children want to try and get on the property ladder by buying one of them at a reduced price. They will then be rented out at -20% below market rates. But given that flats in Wilmslow are expensive to rent, this will stretch the understanding of "affordable".
Royal London is purely a commercial development. It's altruistic claims are just a smokescreen deception to cover this fact.
For what it is worth, I feel compelled to add my pennies worth by saying yet again that nothing but nothing is beneath RLs absolute contempt for the local community with the community's grave concerns with all its uncaring, devious and dishonest approach to its former Green Belt sites.
The dishonesty has been clearly encouraged by CEC, its leadership and its out of control inept, uncaring pseudo planners pulling every trick they know of to delude those concerned with the town's betterment. Both RL & CEC have repeatedly and wholeheartedly been backed by the town's four (4) CE Conservative councillors, Stockton, Mendlove, Barton & Brooks. These four have very badly let down the people of this town who elected them in 2015, in the delusional belief that these four would fight for Wilmslow. And it is not just at Royal London, see Heathfield Farm, Little Staneylands, Upcast Lane to mention just a few sites.
Let's make sure these 4 "fifth columnists" get their just rewards in 2019.
Could anyone please advise me where the largest public space for meetings is available?
It would be incredibly reassuring if any of the four were among the first to respond.
“ Access to the site has been carefully considered.....................and the most appropriate access point is via the existing entrance off Alderley Road next to the northern lodge building.”
As anyone who uses the road regularly will know, congestion, particularly in the morning and evening rush hours is considerable; if this application goes ahead, then the impact on Alderley Road will be huge. When trucks manoeuvring into the Travis Perkins yard, plus a school bus decanting children are taken into account, it takes little imagination to see that this road is going to be a permanent traffic jam. Another application in this mix is for a hand car wash on the site of the former petrol station – this was rejected, by C.E.C. partly on grounds of traffic congestion, but has now been taken to appeal by the applicant.
There has been increasing anxiety as this development has grown – initially the site was taken out of greenbelt because Royal London claimed a pressing need for an up to date new building, and extra car parking for an increased workforce, promising 450 new jobs in addition to the 900 currently employed. Having achieved planning approval, Royal London are now in the process of selling the site and moving to Alderley Park.
Those who use this route may wish to look at the plans and register their comments by using the following website The application numbers are 17/5837M for the west and 17/5838M for the east.
I believe that RL never had the slightest intention of staying on the site; they fooled the Ward Councillor and his chums into removing the Green Belt protection (thereby increasing the value of the land by xxx%) by threatening to move elsewhere. The gullible four took the bait and... surprise, surprise... RL are pulling out, with full pockets, anyway. Meanwhile the residents nearby have to cope with an impending "housing estate" where currently there are agricultural fields.
Amazingly the gullible four are not engaging with their electorate on any public forum...
The four Tory CEC Councillors were elected to represent the residents who, let it be remembered, came out in no uncertain terms in the "Wilmslow Vision" and every other "consultation" since against removing the Green Belt protection. Instead they voted with their Party. Now they are in hiding.
These guides are quite specific and go into great detail; there are two volumes and I think it is worth reading both; I am of the opinion that both the Royal London planning applications fail to comply with the CEC Design Guide.
Link here: http://bit.ly/2zxWZ0v
It's as though they are unaware of the national housing 'crisis' and imagine that the blessed Wilmslow should be exempt.
And to go on about the town's biggest employer leaving town is ludicrous. Their new location is less than 10 minutes drive away, on the same bus route and still within CEC for tax purposes.
The fact that RL announced a move to Alderley Park within a week after holding a public exhibition at Wilmslow Leisure Centre makes this whole planning issue a fiasco.
For the benefit of the cynics who may question my bona fides, I am not connected with RL in any way and have lived very near the RL site for the last 34 years.
http://bit.ly/2AhWScq
http://bit.ly/2AQrO1F
Have you really considered how much more difficult it will be to get out of your road, Fulshaw Park South, when all the extra traffic is around?
Don't think of sneaking down Fulshaw Park, because the TRO will be rigidly enforced, so I've been advised.
Try it!
OK this is woolly... but surely someone with more historical knowledge than myself will know the facts?
Great suggestion from Pete Taylor on inviting the 4 Conservative Councillors to a public meeting. Definitely worth doing!
As predicted, not a squeak from the Silent Four.
Write to the Planning Department at Macclesfield Town Hall quoting application 17/5837M.
I can only think that they know the jig is up for them and they’ll just continue (silently) to take their allowances and ride off when the time comes.
I'm so sorry to hear that your local councillors have apparently chosen to remain silent about Royal London when the issue is so close to resident's hearts.
We are much more fortunate here in Summerfields : Colshaw on Dean Row
You might not know, but residents are campaigning against a flawed planning application by Lidl GmbH to build the biggest superstore in the UK on Summerfields Village.
From day one we have had the full support of local councillors, Wilmslow Town Council and the appropriate technical experts.
For what it is worth, we all wish you all luck. Do not give up.
Regards,
Martin
Good luck.