King’s School housing plans challenged

Local residents are calling on other townsfolk to take a close and urgent look at a proposed housing development for the King’s School historic site on Cumberland Street.

Many of those living in the surrounding area say Hillcrest Homes’ plans will have a detrimental effect on the environment, impact on their privacy, result in serious traffic issues and compound long-term parking and road safety issues.

The proposed entrance on Coare Street is considered utterly impractical and potentially dangerous (including the fact a ramp to an underground car park is juxtaposition a listed 1852 wall). And associated houses planned for the former Percyvale Science Building on Pownall Street provide for very few parking spaces, adding pressure to an already seriously congested area.

The proposal goes before the council soon, so people only have until April 17^th to provide feedback. School and developer senior management have talked repeatedly about a need to respect the heritage of the site, but residents reckon the new build’s contemporary design does not complement the original school buildings being retained, nor the wider Victorian and Edwardian properties. A closer look at the architect’s drawings also reveals the artist’s impression neglects to show the whole picture – the main school building’s façade will not appear exactly as it currently does once new buildings are erected behind.  

People from all over Macclesfield, including former pupils, consider the scheme and its ‘Scandinoir type build more suited to a Scandinavian forest or lakeside setting, than town centre’, will negatively impact Macclesfield’s proud reputation as an ancient market town.

Residents are also alarmed at what they see as inadequate public consultation. When large numbers of local people were approached at Sunday’s Treacle Market it was clear that very few knew about the plans. One lady,  whose elderly father was a King’s boy said ‘Oh you have made me very sad, but not as sad as if I had walked past and seen the changes without knowing it was going to happen.’ She and others asked ‘shouldn’t there be a public consultation for a site like this?’!

Residents in Pownall Street say they received just days notice to an open day held by the developer at the school; residents in nearby Northgate Avenue received no notice atall, despite the fact a public footpath is planned across the top of their once private cul de sac.

A principle concern for many is the planned demolition of the memorial cricket pavilion, built in the 1930s to acknowledge the sacrifices made during the first world war. People of all ages deeply saddened at the news consider this ‘sacrilege’. Hillcrest Homes has confirmed that the memorial lintel stone from the building will be transferred to the new school site. There are, however, no plans to mark the spot where the pavilion once stood after it has been erased.

The War Memorials Trust has confirmed that in their opinion there is NO difference between a ‘war memorial’ and a ‘war memorial building’, regardless of whether it is on public or private land- memorials come in all shapes and guises!

Anyone wishing to register an objection against this planning application – number 19/1068M – can do this on the Cheshire East Council website. Those without access to a computer can contact the action group for help to do this kings19068m@gmail.com.

See: http://www.ilovemacc.com/2019/04/02/reader-voices-opposition-to-kings-school-plans/