The Manchester Evening News were last night carrying a story that Trafford Council’s handling of the planning applications for the Tesco/LCCC project and the White City supermarket determined by the same planning committee are to be challenged in the High Court.
Trafford really have made a dog’s breakfast over this whole episode. We’ve seen the related plans for the Academy thrown out and it really feels as though the Tory Council lacks the ability to deliver large projects. There’s a telling comparison between Labour’s celebrated development of Sale Waterside and the continuously stalled progress of Urmston town centre under the Tories. We know the Tories couldn’t give tuppence for Stretford Town Centre, but even when they find something they want to get behind in the north of the borough, in this case the Cricket Club, they’ve turned the delivery into such a shambles.
The case against a super-sized Tesco at that location was so compelling, it doesn’t surprise me that Derwent Holdings are challenging the rejection of their proposal.
And it’s not only Tory ineptitude that’s hurting the Cricket Ground Development
On the same day as the news of the High Court Challenge, we’ve had the disappointing news that the North West Development Agency is cutting its contribution from £7.2m to £5.2m due to the Conservative Government’s cuts. Thankfully, the cricket ground believes it can cope with this reduction.
Pointedly we’ve been arguing that the £21m that Trafford is contributing to the Cricket Ground is too much for Trafford residents to bear and we should negotiate down that figure. Trafford’s Tories rejected this as it would jeopardise Test Cricket. Funny that when the North West Development Agency makes the cut, LCCC can still cope.
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