Triangle plans strike a positive note

Plans have been submitted for a retail and residential development which would breathe new life into Fallowfield Triangle.

Aldi and Great Places Housing Group, working closely with Manchester City Council, have made a planning application to create a new 1364 sq m store, 14 two-bedroom apartments and 10 three and four-bedroom houses.

The new food store would anchor the regeneration of the centre by increasing the number of visitors to the centre, supporting existing businesses and helping bring the vacant units back into use.

A car park for the centre, something which residents and traders have been calling for, would also be created as part of the scheme with 85 spaces.

The majority of people replying to a consultation carried out by Great Places and Aldi, which attracted almost 200 responses, were in favour of the plans.

The proposals focus on a 2.01 acre site bounded by Lloyd Street South, Hart Road and Platt Lane which currently contains St Crispin's church and social club and the UK Scaffold Yard.

Promising a "high quality, contemporary and modern" architectural design the new store and homes would complement the £1 million of environmental improvements which have been carried out to the Triangle in recent years. Further facelift work would take place to the back of shops along Platt Lane and Lloyd Street South as part of the plans.

Other investment in the Triangle area included last year's revamp of Fallowfield Library and new artwork at the corner of Platt Lane and Hart Lane based on designs by pupils at Wilbraham Primary School.

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: "We welcome these proposals which we believe would make a massive difference to Fallowfield Triangle, offering the sort of improved choice which residents want to see.

"The arrival of an anchor store will help ensure the Triangle's independent retailers have a sustainable future and support the Council's vision of enabling Fallowfield Triangle to become one of the city's key neighbourhood centres
while the new homes will be a high quality addition to the area."

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Executive Member for Culture and Leisure, said: "It's heartening that the investment which has already taken places in services and artwork to improve the area around the Triangle will be underpinned by this major scheme."

Matthew Harrison, deputy chief executive and director of development at Great Places, said: "We are pleased to be at the planning stage. We believe this development would be great for Fallowfield Triangle, providing much-needed new homes as well as new shopping choices."

An Aldi spokesman said: "We have worked closely with Great Places and Manchester City Council, to agree and design a scheme that will benefit the local area and the wider borough. We very much look forward to commencing our site works and delivering a store in the near future, should our proposals be approved."

The scheme is designed by Manchester-based Ian Finlay Architects with Turley Associates, also Manchester-based, as planning agent.