Trafford Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) are seeking a development partner to work alongside as they look at possible plans to redevelop the former site of the Greater Manchester Police HQ on Chester Road in Stretford.
The Council has signed a joint venture (JV) agreement with the landowners, GMCA, to build much-needed housing – including affordable – on the 3.57Ha site.
The scheme forms part of Trafford Council’s Civic Quarter Area Action Plan, which is focussed on the area from the Old Trafford Football ground to the Town Hall and hopes to provide 750 new homes, new shops, offices and community facilities.
It will also create a destination and new community with high levels of design, placemaking, and social value in a sustainable location with excellent access to transport networks.
The project aims to provide 25 per cent of affordable housing on the former Chester House site, in line with the Council and the GMCA’s joint commitment to deliver more good-quality affordable homes, including through the regeneration of brownfield land, and to become carbon neutral by 2038.
Trafford Council and the GMCA are now hoping to appoint a developer by the end of this year as they move to submit a planning application for the site. Applications from shortlisted parties should be received by the Council no later than September 2022. The appointment of the developer is an important milestone in the process of redeveloping the area as part of the Civic Quarter Area Action Plan.
Cllr Andrew Western, Leader of Trafford Council and Greater Manchester Lead for Place-Based Regeneration and Housing, said:
“The establishment of the Civic Quarter has presented the Council with a fantastic opportunity to develop local amenities, improve community used of the areas and, of course, to build more housing.
Trafford Council is totally committed to providing more affordable homes across the borough and this scheme, if approved, will provide a sizeable number of cheaper homes for residents and meet with our carbon neutral policies.
We are now at the important stage of going out to market to find a suitable developer to work alongside on the plans. The process is extremely important and we will take every step possible to select the right developer for the good of Trafford.”
The site was formerly the HQ of Greater Manchester Police before the force moved to a purpose built new facility in Central Park, Oldham Road, Newton Heath in 2012.
