PLANNING CONSULTATION
Land to the South of Congleton Road, Gawsworth
Consultation end date: 16th November 2026
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website regarding the proposals for residential development on land to the south of Congleton Road, Gawsworth.
Please access our engagement boards for further information about what the proposed development consists of and the opportunity to provide any comments. Once you’ve had chance to review the information, we’d be grateful if you could please fill out a feedback form and provide any comments by 16th November 2026.
We want to create a high-quality new neighbourhood that benefits both new and existing residents. We are committed to listening to local people throughout the process.
Site location
The site area that will be subject to the planning application is outlined below. The site is located to the eastern edge of Gawsworth, with access off Congleton Road (A536) to the north. The site is irregular in shape and measure approximately 5.35hectares. The site consists of two large, irregular shaped fields, currently used for agricultural purposes and are bordered by low lying hedgerow and trees.
The site benefits from good strategic highway links to the village of Gawsworth to the west and via Congleton Road to Macclesfield to the north and Congleton to the south, two major towns within a ten minute drive of the site. As the site is within close proximity to two major town settlements and Gawsworth village, it benefits from good access to a number of existing amenities. Within Gawsworth village these amenities include Gawsworth Primary School, Village Hall, recreational and outdoor play space and local convenience store (Gawsworth Hub). Within Macclesfield there are far greater provisions including supermarkets, retail parks, shopping centres, primary and secondary schools, food and drink establishments and healthcare.
The proposed development
Over the past few months, Avison Young as Planning Agents alongside AEW Architects and the design team have been working-up proposals for residential development on the site.
The main priority for these layouts has been to retain existing hedgerows and trees and develop around them.
Within these constraints, the proposal has been developed as an extension of the existing urban grain. The development includes three new open garden squares, as well as a large landscaped green corridor extending from Congleton Road and connecting two public rights of way. Along the western boundary, where the land sits higher than neighbouring properties, we have proposed fully accessible, single-storey bungalows. The development faces outwards towards the surrounding countryside and provides active frontage along the open spaces, helping to create a safe and welcoming environment for the local community.
Key benefits
The proposed development, if approved, will ensure the following sustainable benefits are delivered:
- Delivering a mix of family housing to improve the offering for future residents;
- Provision of affordable housing of the range and type to meet the identified needs;
- Provision of accessible open space and new play space for existing and future residents;
- Improved on site biodiversity, including increase in tree planting and variation of soft landscaping;
- Increase job creation during construction phases of development;
- Increase in local expenditure to support the local economy; and
- Improved connectivity to promote walking and cycling in the local vicinity.
Your views
We are committed to ensuring that any development brought forward on this site reflects the feedback provided by local people. As such we would be very grateful for any feedback you’re willing to give via the feedback form link on our webpage.
This stage of public engagement will close on 16th November 2026. We will then review all feedback received before taking the proposals forward. We will continue to keep local people updated and welcome feedback as plans for the development progress.
What happens next?
We recognise the value of local knowledge and are committed to keeping residents informed as plans develop. After the consultation period ends, we will carefully review the comments and feedback received from local people and stakeholders. This feedback will help inform the final proposals before a full planning application is submitted to Cheshire East Council.
Once the planning application is submitted to Cheshire East Council there will be a statutory consultation period run by the Councill, where local residents will have another opportunity to comment on the proposals.
It is currently anticipated that an application will be submitted within the next two months, with a potential determination date in March 2027.
Downloads
Contact us
If you have any questions on the information presented on the website, please do not hesitate to contact us on the details below:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0161 228 100
Former Zanzibar nightclub
Land at former Zanzibar Nightclub Marsh Parade / Hassell Street, Newcastle Under Lyme
Feedback invited by 16 January 2023.
Aspire Housing is preparing an application which will seek full (detailed) planning permission for the redevelopment of the former Zanzibar nightclub site for a scheme comprising three buildings, ranging between two and nine storeys that will provide 70 independent living units (in a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and one-bedroom mews properties), 11 enterprise units (for certain uses falling with within Class E of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987 (as amended), access, parking, communal facilities, landscaping, shared private amenity space and associated infrastructure. As part of this process Aspire wishes to seek the view of local people on its draft proposal. This consultation webpage is therefore intended to share Aspire’s vision and proposals for the redevelopment of the site and allow you the opportunity to give your feedback on the scheme, which will help Aspire and its team to refine its proposals.
About Aspire Housing
Aspire Housing is a leading housing provider, property developer and place shaper based in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Created in July 2000, we own and manage more than 9,000 homes and support over 20,000 customers across Staffordshire and Cheshire. Our profits are reinvested in new homes, in revitalising communities and in a comprehensive range of innovative support services designed to transform lives.
Our aim is to make a positive, lasting difference to individuals and communities, providing a blend of high-quality homes, community support and people-focused services.
The scheme that Aspire is intending to bring forward forms part of its ambitious Older Persons Strategy which will see it embark on the transformative regeneration of several key sites within the Borough.
More information about Aspire Housing can be found at www.aspirehousing.co.uk
The Site
Aspire Housing acquired the Zanzibar Nightclub and accompanying public car park in 2019. The nightclub closed around 2004 and, in spite of the local planning authority granting several approvals for its redevelopment for alternative uses, the premises remained largely intact up until the point Aspire secured approval for the demolition in 2020. Since the buildings were demolished, the site has been vacant.
The application site is located to the east of and within Newcastle-under-Lyme Town Centre. It is situated in a highly sustainable location within walking distance of a wide range of services, facilities and employment opportunities. The site is well served by public transport and benefits from excellent connections to the local footpath and cycleway networks.
The site is shown edged in red on the attached aerial image (Plan 1) and the site’s constraints and opportunities are shown on Plan 2.
Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council’s Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (January 2009) and its companion documents identify this land as being one of the sites that could be redeveloped to create an enhanced ‘gateway’ into the town, and which present an opportunity for a ‘landmark’ development. Plan 3 shows how the proposal could potentially respond to these opportunities.
The Proposal
The development will provide a range of one and two-bedroom apartments for over-55s independent living, along with internal communal facilities and external amenity space for residents.
The proposed Site Plan (Plan 4) shows the layout of the buildings on the site. The main entrance to the development will be to the corner of Marsh Parade and Brunswick Street, where residents will be able to access communal lounges and gardens. Seven storeys of residential accommodation will sit above the ground floor level communal facilities at this end of the site. A row of independently accessed mews style properties will be situated on the site’s Hassell Street frontage. They will be arranged over two storeys which responds to the scale of the existing terraced housing on the opposite side of Hassell Street.
In addition to the independent living apartments, the proposal makes provision for 11 self-contained enterprise units located within a standalone two-storey block to the west of the site, fronting on to North Street. These office units will be owned by Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council who will offer them for rent, to independent start-up businesses.
The scheme has been designed in such a way that it allows for the gradual reduction in height (stepping down) of the buildings, from the tallest section in the eastern part of the site, towards the west. This reflects the site’s sloping topography and respects the scale of the existing built development to the south and west of the site. The strategies underpinning the way in which the site is laid out and the scale and massing of the proposed buildings is shown on Plan 4.
We have provided two visuals (Plans 5 and 6) which show how the building would be seen in views from George Street and Hassell Street. We have also produced a massing model, which shows how the development will sit within the context of its surroundings. Images of the model can be found at Plan7.
The proposal for Zanzibar presents an opportunity to greatly improve this vacant site and enhance the character of the surrounding area. Moreover, it will provide urgently needed accommodation for older persons in safe and secure environment, designed to a very high specification. It is also the intention that Aspire will bring forward a truly sustainable development that will contain a wide range of energy efficiency techniques and technologies in order to enhance the living experience for its residents and reduce the carbon footprint of the development.
The staggered roof levels provide an opportunity for energy generation via the installation of photovoltaic panels (PVs) arranged in a southern and western orientation. While the introduction of green and blue roofs will enhance local biodiversity value and assist with rainwater attenuation. At the top level of the building there will be a private roof terrace for residents, which will afford views across the town centre and the hills beyond (Plan 8).
Consultation
We welcome your feedback on the draft proposals. The deadline for providing comments is the 16 January 2023.
For any further queries, please contact Avison Young via the email: