Even though there is a prominent level of demand for property in Stockport and surrounding areas, there is still a need to go through proper channels and follow procedures. This may be frustrating for people who are looking to make notable changes to Stockport but planning permission is essential and every proposal needs to be evaluated.

There are proposals in place to redevelop Springmount Mill in Stockport and these have been placed in front of the council. This is not quite a straightforward case. Part of the building was demolished before planning permission was approved, even though there were extenuating circumstances around this act.

Big plans were in place for this building project

The site, located off Brinksway, has plans for 175 new apartments which will range across three new blocks. The façade of the mill is set to be retained as part of the plans and the buildings will range between five and eight storeys.

The initial proposals for the project, designed by L7 Architects on behalf of Carpenter Investments, were approved in November of 2017, although this was subject to a Section 106 agreement.

However, before the Section 106 agreement was signed-off and the formal issuing of planning permission, the project ran into problems. No one needs a reminder of the challenging weather conditions Britain endured back in March when The Beast from The East rampaged.

The Beast from The East caused many problems

A large area of the roof of the building was damaged by the challenging weather conditions and upon the advice of the Health and Safety Executive and building control officers, some of the building was demolished. This included some parts of the building that were expected to be retained and used as the boundary wall of the site.

Because of this, new discussions were undertaken with the council relating to the structural condition of the building. There was a new report submitted to the council, suggesting that the façade of the building be demolished, even though it was initially intended to be retained.

This additional report to the council highlighted issues regarding the structural stability of the building with the developer citing issues in gaining access to the property over safety concerns. In recent months, the building has been the victim of arson attacks and vandalism, another issue which has been highlighted in the report.

The issue of retaining the façade would rely on road closures and studies have found that this is not possible. In return, the developer has requested permission to demolish the structural elements that are listed locally and then reconstruct the facades. While this would lead to the loss of the original façade, which has been classed as “regrettable” by planners, it has been said that the replacement elements would be identical to the former features.

There are concerns that the changes to the initial plans will lead to a reduction in the affordable housing that was supposed to be part of the project. Some of the issues relating to this project and planning application have been unfortunate, but it is the nature of attempting to repurpose old buildings for something more suitable to the modern era.

If you are keen to stay in touch with the latest news surrounding the Stockport property market, contact Peter Anthony and we will be more than happy to help.