AS a former Chairman of the Planning Committee, I am astounded that anyone in their right mind could propose building on Cheadle Square – least of all student accommodation.

Who are these people who could contemplate desecrating this integral part of the Civic Centre?

The town is already awash with existing and planned student accommodation both in the public and private sectors.

These include Orlando Village, the Hollins, the Pack Horse, Metrolands and the former Gregory & Porritts let alone the numerous small scale private student lets

Given that the recently acquired Moor Lane Bus Station site is earmarked for a student ‘village’ then any further accommodation should be contained within that site and not stray over Blackhorse Street to anywhere near Le Mans Crescent.

This proposal also highlights the foolishness of demolishing the Manchester Road Tech in the vain hope of attracting investment into the mixed housing and retail scheme called Westbrook Gateway.

Don’t try to tell me that £40m couldn’t have converted this iconic building into student accommodation with the added bonus of retaining the now destroyed theatre.

It also ignores the opportunity to redevelop the abandoned Copyplan and Williams properties along the north of Bradshawgate from Trinity Street. Lord Leverhulme must be spinning in his grave.

The Heritage which has been handed down by the Victorian and Edwardian giants of local government must not be destroyed by this kind of development, its vandalism of the town centre on a grand scale which others will have to live with once they are no longer in power or in the case of officers retired and living off their pensions

Sean Hornby

Former Councillor & Chairman of Planning