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I PACED out this piece of land as (very
roughly) 15 yards by 40 yards - that's 600 square yards - and yet this
is where property developers want to erect a four-storey block of 10
flats. That's two and a half flats per storey.
Well, clearly not, but it will
be interesting to see how the block turns out - assuming it gets the
go-ahead. The planning application was due to be debated
 by
a committee of Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council on July 26, but I
haven't found any decision on the council's website yet. (Watch this
space).
The site is behind No 5 Chapel
Court in Hospital Street.
The council's planning officers
were all for approval, but Nantwich Town Council, Nantwich Civic Society
and nearby residents were opposed.
Reported in the Nantwich
Chronicle of July 25, Muller Property Holdings said their plans "make
the best and most efficient use of an under-developed brownfields site
in Nantwich town centre" and "promotes its vitality". Sorry
. . .?
Until the near gale force winds
which hit the area earlier this year, the site was fenced off (from the
Morrison's superstore and car park) by a tall, black-painted hoarding
fence on which were photographs of another of Muller's developments. I
understand it was taken down for safety reasons. To date it has not been
replaced - hence the view in my picture.
A couple of years ago, word
spread that the site was to be used as a car park for residents of
nearby Chatterton House in Hospital Street. Well, nearby on foot that
is. It would be quite a drive around town to reach the car park - ending
up driving down a narrow unmade track (above) in front of Grocott's Row,
a row of terraced houses. But it wasn't long after the car park
idea made the rounds, that
 others
heard it was, in fact, earmarked for homes. Correct as it turned out!
Given that there is hardly any
space for an apartment block (in my inexpert opinion) there will not be
any room for car parking space - unless this is provided UNDER the block - as at
other nearby developments.
Where it is sited, the land
would make a nice little car park for the coffee shop, Le Cafe de Paris
in Hospital Street (left). That's at the far end of the site as seen in
the picture at the top of page. The Hospital Street Methodist
Schoolrooms - to the left of it (top picture) or to the right of the street
scene (left) - might also like it.
Except, that is, for the access
difficulty. Local people might be able to find it, but strangers would
have a harder task. It would need a good directions notice. And what a
blow if you toured the area and found the car park full!
lI
have heard that the Methodist Church authorities have now sold their
church building (see this Letter) and will be
using the money to convert the schoolrooms as a joint-use building. I
don't know whether they could afford it, but the site for the proposed
flats would make a
useful location for an extension for their premises. . .
The
new owner of the church building is generously allowing the Methodists
to use the church until January 2009, I understand.
lNot
one but two Chapel Mews developments . . . See this
Letter from Nantwich.
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