The old department store shut down in 2018 but will now be converted and extended to provide 50,000 sq ft of commercial workspace, and 25,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space.
Once the work is completed, the building will be the first regional Pioneer building, part of a £100m programme.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s hoped that Foundation will encourage more people to visit the heart of Altrincham town centre, supporting the long-term growth of the local economy.
Plans for the Foundation building. Credit: Supplied
The plans that have now been approved include space for a cafe, restaurant and retail on the ground floor, spilling out into Stamford Square.
Elsewhere, there will be a gym and wellness area and extensive storage for bikes, hoping to encourage a cycling commute.
ADVERTISEMENT
A 340 sq m living wall in the atrium, and an external green wall, with feed into Bruntwood’s biophilia vision, connection people and nature while reducing noise levels.
The building will also have its insulation and airtightness improved to make it more sustainable.
The former Rackhams and House of Fraser building. Credit: Google Maps
A new two-storey extension is set to be added on to the old Rackhams building, with new terraces and a solar panel system on the roof.
The vision is for Stamford Square to become a focal point for Altrincham’s existing high street.
Cllr Andrew Western, leader of Trafford Council, said: “Trafford Council has carried out a huge amount of work in Altrincham and we are very proud of what we have achieved.
ADVERTISEMENT
Plans for Stamford Square. Credit: Bruntwood Works
“The Council has been at the forefront of the regeneration of the town centre in recent years including our work on the successful Market Quarter, public realm works and Altrincham Business Improvement District.
“The Rackhams building is close to the hearts of people who live in Altrincham and following close consultation with residents we will redevelop it to meet the needs of a modern town centre with a mix of workspace, retail and leisure.
“This project will help Altrincham become an even more successful town centre and I for one will be delighted to see it take shape.”
Andrea George, town centre and consumer brands director at Bruntwood Works, said: “Altrincham is already a town centre success story, bucking the story of decline that has defined so many of its peers around the country.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The pandemic’s lasting impact on where people want to spend more time to work, shop and play locally means there is an opportunity to deepen and strengthen its offering. That’s what Foundation will do.
“It will give Altrincham all the ingredients that the high streets of tomorrow need. By blending premium workspaces, retail and leisure, we’re providing a new and much-needed amenity that complements the existing operators within Stamford Quarter and the wider town centre.
“We can’t wait to see Foundation take shape and underpin this new chapter for Altrincham.”
Featured image: Supplied
Property
You can live in an actual windmill near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
A truly stunning four-storey windmill has been converted into a dream home and has now gone on the market for £850,000 in the rural setting of Cheshire.
Ever fancied living outside of the usual four walls and roof? How about living in a house with just one curved wall and a pretty big fan on top?
This place will make the rolling fields of Cheshire feel more like Amsterdam and with 1.65 square metres of space, you can easily fit more than a handful of tulips into your garden.
Located just outside of Greater Manchester and very close to Chester – only about 10 minutes, in fact – the interior of this luxury home is arguably even more eye-catching than the windmill itself.
Spacious and open sitting area. The Gibbet Windmill, Cheshire (Credit: Rightmove/ Signature Property Partners)
As you enter ‘The Gibbett Mill’, the ground floor boasts an open plan kitchen space with an island framing the layout.
The first floor has a spacious sitting area which with a bit of creativity could easily be turned into something similar to a cinema room, for cosy nights in or even entertaining guests.
If you don’t have enough space to host all your friends and family, why not sit one or two of them on the balcony which is attached to this level?
Two bedrooms are spread across the second floor with one bathroom space which will be shared between both these rooms.
For those of you who are DIY fanatics, the property even has planning permission for a two-storey extension, if you want to add your own personal touch to your new home – not that this pad needs anything more done to it, mind you.
The third and highest floor has an impressive master bedroom with its own en-suite shower room and with its incredible height, this room boasts views of the Cheshire countryside.
Cosy little nook with a spiral staircase.En-suite and Shower room attached to Master bedroom. The third floor which homes the Master bedroom.Spacious kitchen area.The Gibbet Windmill, Cheshire is genuinely breathtaking. (Credit: Rightmove/ Signature Property Partners)
For anyone with an admittedly big budget, this property is ideal for anyone trying to escape the hustle and bustle of busy day-to-day life, situated in the village of Woodbank, the population is just over 100, and you’ll be treated to some relaxing peace and quiet.
Chester itself has lots to offer too, from well-known shops homed in black and white Tudor-style buildings to impressive walls you can walk which highlight the city and provide incredible views of the landscape.
Life is all about the perfect balance and with the three-bedroom listing being just a 12-minute drive away from Cheshire Oaks, you’re a short journey away from some much-loved retailers and recognisable brands.
S,o if you happen to have £850,000 to spare and fancy living in something more cylindrical and almost out of a fantasy film, this property is your match made in heaven. You can see more down below.
You can find The Gibbett Windmill’s full listing HERE.
Featured Image — Rightmove/ Signature Property Partners
Property
Plans approved for new ‘first of its kind’ majority LGBTQ+ housing scheme for over 55s in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Plans have been approved for the UK’s ‘first of its kind’ purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ social rent housing scheme for over 55s in Manchester.
Great Places Housing Group’s proposals for the site of the former Spire Hospital on Russell Road in Whalley Range – a brownfield site which has been vacant since the hospital was demolished in September 2019 – were approved at Manchester City Council’s planning meeting last week (26 September).
The plans for the majority LGBTQ+ ‘Extra Care’ housing scheme have been co-produced in partnership with the Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council, and LGBT Foundation.
According to developers and the Council, this newly-approved development will be made up of 80 one and two-bedroom apartments for older people within a “high-quality sustainable building offering a safe and welcoming feel and inviting presence”.
Designed to “respect the surrounding conservation area”, the low-carbon scheme will also include several shared communal facilities too – including lounges, treatment rooms, and landscaped gardens.
The site will also include a neighbouring development of 40 shared ownership homes.
Plans have been approved for a new ‘first of its kind’ majority LGBTQ+ housing scheme in Manchester / Credit: John Walding (via Great Places Housing Group)
Greater Manchester‘s Extra Care housing schemes are all about increasing the opportunities for older people to move into high-quality accommodation across our region – with all the residents at Russell Road therefore being aged 55 or over.
The majority of residents at the development will also be members of the LGBTQ+ community from Manchester, and they will live alongside allies in what developers and the Council are aiming to be an “open and inclusive place of psychological safety”.
Cllr Gavin White, who is Manchester City Council’s executive member for housing and development, said the approval of the plans is “a real celebratory moment” and a “landmark development in every sense”.
He continued: “[This development] has been in the works for some years and is designed to meet a clear need for quality, social rent housing for LGBTQ+ older people to live in safety, dignity, and as part of a welcoming and supportive community.
“We have helped build hundreds of Extra Care homes across Manchester in recent years to meet demand for older people to live in their later lives, many with care needs provided on site, but this is the first purpose-built LGBTQ+ majority Extra Care community in the UK”.
Work on the new development – which will be funded by Great Places, complimented by grant funding from Homes England, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) Brownfield Housing Fund – will begin later this year, the Council has confirmed.
Daisy Jackson -
21st January 2022 
