Browse Sections
Interactive
Popular Sections
Partly sunnyNews
| 
Submit Comments
Grand Central Leisure Park.
Green light for £100m Grand Central revamp
ennifer Williams20/ 2/2008
A £100MILLION town centre development has been approved by the Council’s planning and highways committee.
The overhaul of Grand Central Leisure Park on Wellington Rd South will include a 130-room hotel, leisure facilities, a multi-storey car park, more than 200 new flats and improvements to surrounding roads.
It has been granted by planners despite earlier concerns by both Victoria and Tame Valley area councillors that too few of the proposed new homes would be affordable.
Although Council policy states that town centre developments should feature 17.5 percent affordable dwellings, developers Targetfellow will only be making 10 percent of its new homes affordable.
But the project has been welcomed by many local politicians, who see it as an important step towards the regeration of the town centre, and a boost to its economy.
Stockport MP Ann Coffey said: "I think it’s really, really good - the best thing that could have happened.
"The problem within Grand Central was it didn’t have the right combination of family and nightlife, which resulted in it getting difficult reputation and putting off families.
"This clearly combines family entertainment with building on Stockport’s strengths as a service centre.
She added: "We desperately need hotel accommodation. I would prefer that if people have business in Stockport they spend the night in Stockport rather than going into Manchester and spending their money there."
But the development has not been welcomed in all quarters. Tame Valley councillor Maureen Rowles felt officers should have pushed for a higher percentage of the homes to be affordable.
She said: "The problem is that now the planning applications going through are for flats and apartments. We’re not considering the families - there may be some who want to live in the town centre."
And Victoria Area councillor Philip Harding, who also sits on the planning committee, added: "I did not support that application - I didn’t think it was the best scheme the officers could have negotiated.
"The design is not of a high enough standard. I don’t think rabbit-hutch style flats is at all appropriate for that site and I don’t think there’s a demand for a 130-room hotel."
Most recent 2 of 8 user comments
24/02/2008 at 10:13
Got an opinion you want to share?| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.8% |
| AA | 7.9% |
| Sainsbury's Personal Loan | 8.2% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Lloyds TSB | 8.9% |
| Abbey Personal Loan | 8.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
4.50% |
|
FIRST DIRECT Everyday e-Saver |
1.75% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
2.25% |
24/02/2008 at 12:49