I RECENTLY attended the Trafford Council planning committee meeting regarding the proposed development for Regent Road/Chapel Street, Altrincham.

I’m sure many Trafford residents are aware that Chapel Street was the "bravest little street in England", home of 161 men who volunteered for the First World War from just 60 houses.

The proposed development consists of a multi-storey car park, apartments, shops and a few benches and pot plants, to be called Chapel Square.

In my opinion, this is a totally inadequate memorial to those who served in every theatre of the war and in all the battles of the Somme.

I believe the developer promised the same sort of square for the new Altrincham hospital and didn’t deliver on it.

This is an historic site which belongs to the nation.

Heroes lived in this street, whose actions had great ramifications for the country and the outcome of the war.

I am astonished that councillors on the committee did not know of Altrincham, and indeed Trafford’s rich heritage.

I have great concerns over the whole scheme.

The councillors all agreed that this development is overbearing, ugly and of poor quality; and they concluded that most of Altrincham town centre is the same, and then unanimously voted in favour of it.

So much for the courage of their convictions!

The multi-storey car park will cause pollution and a bottleneck in Regent Road while the neighbouring Victorian housing will be overlooked by six levels of it.

Does the car park have sprinklers?

In light of the fire at Liverpool Arena car park blaze, should this be so close to housing, when it is known cars are more flammable now than they used to be?

Affordable housing promised in the scheme will not now go ahead.

I am astonished councillors did not know the difference between affordable housing and social housing; boasting of the blocks near Regent Road (Trafford Housing Trust), as proof of civic pride in housing provision.

They have now issued a quote to say that the scheme could not support any affordable housing, because of the cost associated with the construction of the carpark.

Then there is the question of land ownership.

Firstly, it is supposedly sold and now it isn’t.

Is the sale tied to planning consent?

This means others are sidelined from the bidding process, such as charities or housing co-operatives.

This public land asset cannot be sold off cheaply or in an under-the-table deal.

At this time of remembrance and centenary, we cannot have a multi-storey carpark as the cenotaph to ‘The bravest little street in England’.

Sheila Brady

Author of Chapel Street: The bravest little street in England