Halliwell Jones BMW plans to go to Cheshire East Council vote

Cheshire East Council’s strategic planning board will discuss plans for a new Halliwell Jones BMW and Mini dealership and workshop for the second time – with the aim of replacing the current showrooms, off Dean Row Road, and the firm’s bodyshop, in Brooke Park.

Councillors gave the thumbs down to the application at the first time of asking over the size of the building, its environmental impacts and its proximity to the Grade II-listed Handforth Hall.

CEC also said the new dealership would lead to a loss of ‘employment land’ – as car showrooms do not fall under that category – but now officers are calling for the plans to be approved to secure 127 existing jobs and create around 45 new ones.

In a report issued ahead of next week’s meeting, CEC officers said: “The proposed building has been amended to better reflect the characteristics of the site and will now positively contribute to the character of the area.

“The retention of an existing employer and the associated jobs is undoubtedly a clear benefit of the proposal.

“There are no other known sites that could be suitable for the development, outside of other employment sites.”

The meeting comes almost a year after the strategic planning board rejected the firm’s first attempt of building the dealership – despite an impassioned plea from Phillip Jones, managing director.

He told that meeting he had received a letter from BMW UK, stating it would terminate its franchise agreement for Wilmslow unless Halliwell Jones had secured planning permission for new premises.

The franchise had been due to end last September, but that date was deferred until this month after an appeal, and Mr Jones suggested that refusing the plans would be ‘potentially catastrophic for my business and indeed many of my employees’.

Halliwell Jones’ revised application for the site, west of Coppice Way, includes extra trees between the site and neighbouring St Benedict’s School, while the roof height has decreased from 89 metres to 85.6 metres.

In a letter to CEC, the Handforth neighbourhood plan steering group ‘strongly recommends’ the scheme for approval – suggesting the concerns raised by councillors last year have been addressed.

It said: “This application involves the construction of a prestige car dealership and will therefore raise the perceived profile of Handforth parish.

“Redevelopment of the Halliwell Jones site at the Wilmslow Road-Stanneylands Road junction could allow improvement of the junction to alleviate the current traffic bottleneck.

“It would bring more jobs and investment into Handforth. It would very likely increase footfall and custom for elements of the Handforth Dean shopping mall.”

Handforth Parish Council also raised no objection to the scheme, suggesting it ‘would not have a detrimental impact on the visual character of the site, wildlife habitat or affect in any way the nearby Grade II-listed building’.