Cheshire East Council approves Macclesfield town centre redevelopment

Cheshire East Council in the UK has approved a £90m Silk Street development scheme to regenerate Macclesfield town centre.

The 18,500m² development will be carried out in a joint venture between the council and developer Wilson Bowden.

After completion, the development will feature a Debenhams department store, 19 larger stores, a 718-space multistorey car park and a nine-screen multiplex cinema.

Plans also include restaurants, a new public open space, known as Mulberry Square, and a children’s recreation area off Exchange Street, called Roe Square.

The development will feature streetscape design, enhanced connectivity and pedestrian links and improvements to the public realm outside the site’s boundary, including houses on Roe Street.

Cheshire East Council Councillor Michael Jones said the project will be a catalyst for regeneration of the whole town and Macclesfield area.

"It is a key part of the council’s and community partners’ plans to regenerate the town’s rich silk heritage, creating a cultural quarter. The council is also developing its ambitious mixed-use scheme for the South Macclesfield Development Area," Jones said.

The scheme is expected to give a boost to spending in Macclesfield town centre by £40m by 2016.

The council said currently 94.5% of the comparison goods retail spending of the Macclesfield catchment area takes place outside the town centre.

As part of its plans to regenerate Macclesfield, the council has previously allocated more than £250,000 for public realm improvements.

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Image: The 18,500m² Silk Street development will feature a Debenhams department store and nine-screen multiplex cinema. Photo courtesy of Cheshire East Council.