Council to sell off land at Earl Road

by Lisa Reeves

Tuesday 11^th March 2014

Tue 11^th Mar 2014

Cheshire East Council has decided to sell the land they own at Earl Road, adjacent to the Handforth Dean retail park.

The land had been held as a strategic employment site for a number of years and comprises approximately 14 acres.

Engine of the North, the Council's new development company, has been instructed to bring the site forward on behalf of the Council to maximise jobs growth and capital receipts.

The site will be promoted for mixed use development including employment, retail and leisure.

It was agreed at a meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday, 4th March, that all action necessary will be taken, funded from within existing identified budgets, to bring the site forward for development, including potentially creating site infrastructure such as spine roads and appropriate utility servicing.

Speaking at the meeting Cllr Peter Raynes said "There has already been considerable commercial interest in this site."

Cllr Michael Jones added "This brings forward an asset which was once valued at £2m to be potentially worth £13m."

Speaking about what the money will be used for Cllr Michael Jones said "It will almost certainly go into some sort of infrastructure, part of it will be the new development at Handforth East and part of it may go into Handforth itself.

"We have got to put some money into the A34 to make sure it works well, some of that money should go into that area."

Next Plc recently obtained planning permission to build a home and garden superstore with a conservatory, garden centre, coffee shop and 209 car parking spaces. This will cover approximately 3 acres of the 14 acre site.

The site was leased to Airparks until 2010, since then the land has been unoccupied but there have been frequent and ongoing issues with unauthorised traveller camps on part of the site.

Tags:: Earls Road

Comments

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

Chris Wigley

Tuesday 11^th March 2014 at 1:24 pm

Conveniently CE won't designate this brownfield site for building houses and instead want to build on the other side of the A34, which effectively cuts the new Handforth East off from the infrastructure in Handforth.

Nick Jones

Tuesday 11^th March 2014 at 2:04 pm

Sell it to the travellers..... CEC is already 1/2 way there welcoming them.... and providing to their needs

Was this always the secret site close to the Handforth / Woodford Border... ?

Non designated Brownfield location .......... Timing superb......

Is this part of a Cunning plan...... Baldrick !........ or is this all a bit whiffy again !!!

DELETED ACCOUNT

Tuesday 11^th March 2014 at 4:10 pm

Note the uses, "employment, retail and leisure". So there will be a multi- cinema complex and bowling alley and numerous fast food places - just to ensure that the roads are not only clogged in the rush hour, but in the evening too.

Terry Roeves

Wednesday 12^th March 2014 at 3:22 pm

So, CEC had a tenant until 2010 and didn't bother thereafter to get a rent.
A classic example where CEC should have put on the market and let private enterprise develop it.
Oh, I forgot, CEC did have several tenants. The travellers and gypsies.
Could have saved thousands of pounds in litigation and clean ups.
Why doesn't CEC manage its assets and why are they so irresponsible and stupid? Anyone with half a brain could have told them what would happen.
So all in all, tens of thousands of pounds lost and all so unnecessary.
Let the sackings begin.

Derek Stevens

Thursday 13^th March 2014 at 9:11 am

Terry

CEC ! surely it should be CCL ( cloud cuckoo land) with a bit of blue sky thinking over head

John Rowland

Monday 17^th March 2014 at 10:24 am

Good ! I'm glad there's a bit of money coming back into the pot, perhaps they can now invest in a heavier tree stump for the site entrance to stop the travellers getting back in !!!!!