PROPOSALS to transform the south of the town are to be decided next month.

Phase one of the South Macclesfield Development Area (SDMA) involves building 325 homes and a new supermarket on land between Congleton Road and London Road.

The scheme, which involves 27 hectares of Cheshire East Council-owned land – the equivalent of 45 football pitches – also involves relocating the present playing fields and building of a new sports pavilion and play areas.

It is part of a ‘master plan’ for the 63-hectare site, which will eventually see a further 700 homes and a new link road.

 

Plans were submitted by Cheshire Engine of the North, the council-owned business tasked with developing land for housing and employment, in May and will be decided by the council’s strategic planning committee on November 12.

The vision to create a southern gateway to the town has been mooted for two decades but has suffered from many false starts. In the last two years the council has been in the process of a ‘land grab’ to buy up land in the area to push forward the plans.

 

The first phase of the SMDA proposes five zones, separated by a network of paths and green space for pedestrians and cyclists known as greenways.

The north of the site will be devoted to seven hectares of housing, a mixture of one to four-bedroom properties.

The southern half of the site will see a sports fields, a new pavilion, multiuse games areas (MUGAs), and a trim trail for outdoor training to the east. To the west there will be the 80,000sqm supermarket, petrol station, a 5,000sqm retail unit and car parking.

Issues the council will have to overcome include the potential impact on homes on Congleton Road and Moss Lane; and its proximity to the Danes Moss Waste Disposal Site.

Coun Damien Druce, pictured, described the SMDA as “the catalyst for the renaissance of South Macclesfield”.

He said: “SMDA is ‘the’ opportunity for the renewal of South Macclesfield. Not only providing a new link road but also strong community assets potentially including a supermarket, a community hub and enhanced sports facilities. These plans should also see the end of waste companies operating in the Moss Lane area and making the pavements safe for families to walk along again.”