Nantwich Town councillors have objected to plans to turn the former B&M store in the town centre into 20 new apartments.
A planning application has been submitted by Mr Anshul Raja of Apavi Group Holdings for a change of use for the Swine Market building.
It would see 20 new self-contained apartments with cycle and bin storage.
But the plans were discussed at Nantwich Town Council on Thursday (July 10), with many councillors voicing concerns over the plans.
Cllr Arthur Moran said: “I’ve had a lot of emails regarding this application, and if it becomes a planning application as well as change of use, I intend to call it in rather than it being delegated to officers.
“What or who the proposed apartments are being used for is irrelevant. Is it a suitable change of use? I don’t think it is.”
Cllr Peter Groves added: “I share those concerns and a lot of people are very concerned about this plan.
“I’m delighted that Cllr Moran is dealing with it and hopefully it will be called in before a planning committee.”
Cllr Caroline Kirkham said: “I think we should object, there’s a lot of strong opinions on this.
“Some of the issues include it being in a conservation area, and concerns around it setting a precedent for development of other vacant spaces.
“I don’t feel it is in keeping with the area, or the strategic plans for the Swine Market areas.”
DRK Planning, acting on behalf of the applicant, said apartments would be partly on the ground floor as well as all the first floor, comprising eight x 1 bedroom 1 person flats, seven x 1-bed 2-person flats, and 5 x 2-bed 3 person flats.
The plans show there would be still be room on the ground floor for a retail unit fronting on to Swine Market.
In conclusion, they said: “The existing building proposed to be subject to this application has a lawful Class E use and, subject to appropriate mitigation to be secured by condition, the proposed change of use presents no transport and highways, conservation area, contamination, noise, flood risk, or natural daylight concerns.
“Therefore, we ask that this application should be granted subject to such planning conditions as the Council considers appropriate.”
Plans have been posted on Cheshire East Council website.
Members of the public have until July 16 to submit their views on the proposals.
(Pics by Jonathan White)
Please CEC can’t we have a £10m multi story car park instead? We promise we’ll use it!
Calm down Dabbers, this gig will not get permission, not in a million years, I have money on it!!
Far too many negatives for it to work, but what the council should be doing is talking to companies now who can add extra value to the town, the town needs to be a cohesive area to draw in destination shoppers, coming to Nantwich by the coach full for more than just shopping,
But it will be a very brave company that takes this on for sure given the current climate
I should add to my response, there is no way that these retail units should be converted into any form of apartment or multi occupancy dwelling. Such an application would require planning permission, there is no way way that this is compatible with the Town of Nantwich.
The Town Planners should refuse any form of change of use.
The whole development done in the1960’s was a total mess, it looks worse now because of it very poor maintenance programme, all done on the very very cheap at best.
Surely to God a Local Authority should have the powers to seek redress, it was their idiots in the 1960’s who gave the original planning permission.
It’s a pity they’re not more reactive with the Maylands monstrosity or the potential development off Broad Lane…what was once a beautiful floral town is fast becoming Labours first new town
Demolish it! It’s an absolute eyesore! HMO? Is Cheshire East Council absolutely stupid? An HMO in the centre of an historical town like Nantwich! That will be the end of this beautiful clean town with the filth that the people who reside there will bring with them! I’m originally from Manchester and you want to see what HMO’s do to an area, along with private Landlords! That building does not fit in the town centre of Nantwich!
Council should try and tempt Charlies (charlies.co.uk) or Robert Dyas to take that shop would be ideal
No way i would live in that block. Right on a road, noisy pub opposite, sports bar opening. No parking.
Ideally it would be knocked down. It’s ugly and outdated ; alternatively, refurbished and replaced with a small, tasteful indoor mall with a few independent shops. It would draw people in especially in winter. I have seen this done well in some towns.
If we are not careful we will end up with it full of men who have entered our country illegally as in Crewe, Runcorn etc etc etc
Use space fir The Range, Primark or similar if it can’t be demolished, not for flats!
If the council weren’t so opposed to businesses such as Greggs, Wetherspoons, KFC, Burger King, McDonalds etc , then the town might not have so many empty retail units.
Perhaps the councillors don’t want to upset the likes of (rip off) Chatwins by putting a Greggs in town but it’s about time that they did what is best for the town and its residents and stop be so stuck up.
Leave town centers for retail and shops and residential areas away from the center of town so people can have some peace but can get to there town center.
The whole building should be demolished, the old B and M Building, Boots and other shops in that development needs total redevelopment,, It was a results of of a cheap and nasty development back in the 1960’s
It requires tasteful redevelopment in keeping with the historical heritage of Nantwich. Look at the price the residents pay for the decisions made by Town Planners back in the 1960’s. Tat and rubbish, lacking any form of taste. Lets get real, the town Council tinker at the edges, but what strategic decision looking forward to fulfilling a vision for what should be a beautiful historic town, in every part of the Town.
A good example of excellent re-development was the old Lamb Hotel is Hospital Street, completed by Muller. It can be done!!!
Ask your self what have Cheshire East or the Town Council done to ensure that development is well maintained not alone re-developed. It looks like scene from the TV series ‘Shameless.’ The only difference Shameless is fictional, and the residents have to look at that TAT every time you go into town.
The Local Authority should ensure these properties are well maintained.
Just look at the pavement out side the Pizza Parlour, fat on the floor, look at the state of the new pavement.
If any one has a better description, please let me know.
I’m surprised it’s not going to be a barbershop or fancy cake shop or maybe a finger nail shop or there again a waffle shop.
Maintain the unit for retail, keeping the high street open as a town should be.
Please do not allow Nantwich become another town with an infestation of cheaply built, nasty flats. These developments are ruining towns across Britain.
Whats wrong with having people live in the town centre? Lets face it the high street is dead, we can only have so many heirdressers , coffee bars and nail parlours.
The likes of Tesco , Mark’s, Asda et all arent gong to use any of the shops in town they are too small.
We all shop on line, the council strangle shopkeepers with there rates. They (the council) need to rethink how this town is going to progress.
Having people live in the town will bring some life back into the town,
This should never be allowed it will ruin the town
There is a primary school 100 mtrs away just consider.
The direction that the retail sector is going we are in danger of ending up with an eyesore. People are increasingly shopping on line and commercial developments in town centres increasingly problematic. Will those who object to the principle of this proposal be complaining ten years from now about the eyesore in Swinemarket and when our elected representatives are going to take action?
We’ll have no trouble here, this is a local town for local people!
The foreign folk will reek havoc with their unruly ways!
No thank you!
So what are the two councillors doing to help fill the “eye sore” , whilst empty CE is losing revenues
Just wasn’t viable for that building to be made into multi apartments, with shop frontage.
WOW, CEC does have common sense.
don’t be fooled, if Serco have their hands in it it will be bad news for the town. It is a huge money making operation on the backs of all residents and business in the town, it is government money thrown at an issue that is not about to go away anytime soon.
There are apartments in the town already and they are well built and cater for a section of society that enjoy the 24/7 of town life, however these are basic shells not apartments more like bedsits or studios which means it will house a number of different sorts of people who cannot afford a regular apartment in town, non car drivers as the three spaces will probably go to disabled or management a modern HMO is not about cramming in accommodation a little bit better than a hotel, its about designing quality apartments to include a cafe, a gym, a swimming pool, office services, and social areas, this hotch potched ill thought out offering has none of the charms of a recently opened block in Stoke which is attracting a certain type of tenant, probably in the age range of 30-45yrs professional people who want a community of like minded people on the doorstep. No this is big money, badly executed in such an inane plan, it wont hit the needs of the town, enrich the town centre one jot, and will fail
We need more single accommodation to house the migrants due to arrive in Crewe. That site would never be shops again as they’re no longer needed.
OK Council, to reject something like this then you should have some other venture in the pipeline of will it be a mess in a few years. As a council you need to have some plan that needs to be shared not just reject an idea!!!
Thank you this town does not need HMO,s
There’s something rather strange with this, all a bit cloak and dagger – even today the building still has the agent Legat Owen’s board advising retail premises for let! Nothing about conversion to residential. Did the planning application stipulate whether the converted units would be for sale or rent, and if for rent did it indicate whether they would be on an individual basis or on mass to another entity such as Serco? It would also appear simply from observations today that the area is major retail and social area during the day, evening, and nighttime – there is a pub opposite with outside seating and music, a new sports bar opening soon just around the corner, and a number of fast food outlets as well as a restaurant . Presumably there would soon be a conflict of interest between newly installed residents and long established businesses.