THE £70 million overhaul planned for Sale town centre will see the outdated shopping mall bulldozed and replaced with two tower blocks, 12 and 15-storeys high, that will house 184 flats.

The regeneration project, dubbed The Square, will also see other nearby buildings demolished and replaced with 18 two and three-storey homes, leisure facilities, and a multi-storey car park to replace the existing one.

An 84-seater cinema will also be delivered alongside a south-facing pedestrian plaza and avenue linking the corner of Sibson and Springfield Roads to Town Square.

Developer Maloneview has been working on the concept for the masterplan for a number of years, before submitting plans to Trafford council in June.

Maloneview hailed the project as a ‘major step towards the regeneration of Sale town centre’, which will revitalise the area, deliver hundreds of new jobs and boost the local economy.

Mark Rebbeck, commercial director at Maloneview, said: “Delivery of this landmark scheme will act as a catalyst to the town centre as a whole, allowing it to become a leading destination for people to live, work and play.”

Residents’ reaction to the scheme has mostly been positive with some hailing the development as a ‘fantastic renewal of Sale’s dated town centre’.

They agree the proposals would deliver new and much needed retail and leisure space ­— the additional homes would give the housing market a welcome boost ­— and a new cinema would be a valuable addition.

While some agree that the town centre needs an uplift, but not to this extent, they say.

There should be an overall masterplan with a long-term strategy rather than sporadic attempts to reinvent isolated components, said another.

The planning application is due to be discussed by town hall bosses on Thursday.

For more information visit trafford.gov.uk/planing and enter reference number 9486/FUL/18.