The December 2021 Trafford Council Executive meeting approved a plan to enter into a joint venture with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and a developer partner to support the proposed residential led mixed-use development of the old Greater Manchester Police headquarters in Stretford.
The meeting also approved £642,500 of funding needed to procure the development partner and obtain detailed planning consent for the scheme. The funding would be charged to the council’s Asset Strategy Reserve in the event the scheme did not proceed.
Should the scheme progress, it is anticipated that the redevelopment of the site would lead to 758 new homes on site; a new hotel; 62,150 of new commercial space; a parking hub and rooftop food hall; 9,800sqft of office space and work units. There is an aspiration for 25% affordable housing on the site and the report states that the mix of affordable tenure is to be determined by future work, but the inclusion of a greater proportion of social housing would impact on the viability of the scheme
Regarding the agreed plan, Jonathan Coupe, Chair of Stretford and Urmston Conservatives said “Stretford and Urmston Conservatives welcome proposals to redevelop this key strategic development site which forms a key part in the delivery of the wider Civic Quarter Area Action Plan and will ultimately form part of the emerging Trafford Local Plan. There are aspects of the plan that we have concerns with however, not least that it exposes the council to a potential loss of £642,500, should the joint venture not be pursued following that initial expenditure. There is no guarantee that the site will be developed in the way that is anticipated, particularly if planning permission is not granted. That would then leave local Council Tax payers to pick up the bill for a failed venture.
“While the approved plans at this stage only approve the principle of the council entering into a joint venture agreement and associated cost to the council, it would have been helpful if more details had been made available regarding associated infrastructure to support the planned new homes, retail and leisure offer. There is no detail on where the new residents would send their children to school for example. The September 2021 council Executive meeting revealed that in the Stretford school place planning area, there was only an 8% vacancy rate for primary school places. These empty places are being impacted by unprecedented levels of additional demand for school places from families newly resident in Trafford. The site is also in close proximity to the two Old Trafford stadia and there is no detail in the report of mitigation measures to reduce traffic congestion in the area, particularly on event days.“
