It took five years of negotiation - but finally 41 homes are to be built on a former second hand car sales site at Woolley Bridge, Glossop, and on land at Station Road, Hadfield.
The catalyst for the two-site development deal was Manchester surveying practice Stevens Scanlan, who were first instructed by landowners Mouselow Car Centre back in July 2001. Protracted negotiations involved solving access issues, meeting the local authority’s strict “affordable housing” conditions, and identifying developers for the two plots of land.
The end result was the achievement of planning consent for 26 three-bedroomed link detached town houses and ten social housing apartments on the Glossop site and five affordable houses at Hadfield. Building work is due to start in the next few weeks. The twin development will take between 18 months and two years.
Stevens Scanlan were originally called in by the Mouselow Car Centre which at first had planning permission for 14 houses on unused land adjoining their car showroom. But access to this land was blocked by a petrol station which was under separate ownership. Also at that time High Peak Council had severe restrictions on the type of new housing development they would allow in this area.
Said Alan Murdoch, managing partner of Stevens Scanlan: “The problem of the ‘ransom strip’ was solved with the purchase of the garage. There were then lengthy negotiations with the local planners on the amount of social housing required as the whole area is subject to a housing development moratorium. The end result was that we were able to remarket the land with planning permission for 46 homes to developers along with the land at Hadfield.”
Stevens Scanlan then introduced the owners of Mouselow Car Centre to Holroy Developments of Chadderton who put forward development plans both for the Glossop site and the site at Hadfield that was also owned by the car centre.
Steven Scanlan then negotiated a deal between Holroy and Outlook Homes, a member of the Harvest Housing Group based in Manchester who will deliver the affordable homes on the two sites.
Naomi Kaneko-Grimshaw, property buyer for Outlook Homes, said: “Outlook Homes are continually striving to provide affordable housing throughout the northwest and is looking forward to delivering these new units and seeing its impact on the community.”
Said Tim Proctor, owners of Mouselow Car Centre: “The help and advice we received from Stevens Scanlan throughout the long negotiation process was invaluable. We have successfully realised the investment in our land, and the community will benefit from two attractively designed developments which offer a substantial element of affordable housing which is much needed in the area.”