PLANS to build a five-storey block of flats in Stalybridge have been deferred as councillors hit out at the ‘box’.
A total of 21 apartments providing specialist adult social care would be built on Grosvenor Street if permission is granted.
Those looking to construct the five-storey building believe it will revitalise an ‘eyesore within a prominent part of the town centre.’
But Stalybridge South councillor Doreen Dickinson has blasted the proposal and a decision by Tameside Council’s Speakers Panel (Planning) committee has been deferred.
Evans UK Property has applied to Tameside Council to develop the land, which stands next to the Tesco supermarket petrol station.
Documents supporting the application say they believe it will, ‘make efficient use of under-utilised and vacant land bringing it back into use for a proposal which would be appropriate to be located within the town centre.’
If given the go ahead, the building will be able to help people living there – who will have care staff on site 24 hours a day – live in the community.
But Cllr Dickinson has made a formal representation lambasting the scheme.
She says: “You can’t plan piece meal for a town.
There has to be a vision, a plan and most of all people coming together from which ever department it takes to make it work.
“There is no point in spending £2 million at one end of the town if on one of the main shopping streets there is a five-storey residential institution ( application wording, not mine).
“A box marginally better designed than the box going on the old police station site, still a box.
“This is not the way to take a town that has been dying for a while, attracting the interest of Andy Burnham who gave it Town Centre Challenge Status and make it vibrant where developers want to invest, even £2 million won’t do that with these two new buildings stuck in the middle of it.
“I feel so strongly about the immense damage this will do to the future of Stalybridge.”
Documents for the application add: “Delivery of a residential institution in this location supports the provision of much needed accommodation for residents with greater needs.
“Providing 21 specialist adult social care units in this location ensures that the services which support these end users are better able to function.
“A consolidated provision within Stalybridge town centre ensures access to services for both residents and staff.”
Greater Manchester Police say they support the application, as long as external doors are only accessible with a key fob and they are fitting with audio and video systems, windows cannot open more than 10 centimetres and CCTV is installed.