An historic house could be converted into new homes if planners grant permission for the scheme next week.
Belmont House, in Cheadle, dates back to the early 19th century and was once home to James Milne, founder of Manchester’s iconic Kendal’s department store.
While locally listed, a recent heritage review found it has the potential for national recognition, ‘possessing a degree of significance beyond its local interest and value’.
Most recently used as a care home, the Schools Hill building has been vacant since 2017 - becoming a magnet for ‘misuse, vandalism and other damage’.
But new proposals would see the property given a new lease of life, dividing it into four flats and a three-bedroom town house.
There would also be a new three-storey block of seven apartments, and a further five townhouses built next to it as part of the scheme.
Residents would be served by 24 parking spaces, while landscaping of the grounds would provide large private and communal gardens.
The later phases of Belmont House, to the south of the original façade, would be demolished.
The application was backed by local councillors when it went before Cheadle area committee last month.
Coun Iain Roberts told the meeting it was a ‘positive development’.
He said: “I think Cheadle and Gatley has a good record of supporting good developments.
“We saw, for example, Barnes Hospital - another historic building that was saved by a supporting development around it - and is now a very good development, with over 150 dwellings.
“This is obviously on a much smaller scale, but is a similar approach.”
Stockport council’s planning committee will decide whether to approve the application - submitted by Belmont Estates - when it meets on Thursday night.
Public objections include complaints that the ‘contemporary design of the new buildings is not in keeping with Belmont House’, nearby properties would be overlooked and more traffic would be generated.
A report to members recommends passing the scheme on the grounds it would deliver a ‘series of positive planning and regeneration benefits'.
These are said to include the reuse of a vacant building, restoration of a locally listed building and making ‘efficient use’ of previously developed land.
The document acknowledges that key elements of the house remain largely unaltered, including internal decorative features that are of ‘high significance’.
Its design has strong associations with leading 19th century architects Richard Lane and Alfred Waterhouse - and a similar house in Manchester designed by Lane is statutorily listed.
However the physical fabric of the building has deteriorated since it was vacated, having suffered water ingress, vandalism, fire and neglect.
This has ‘substantially increased’ the difficulty of conserving and restoring its most important architectural elements.
But new build elements included as part of 'enabling development' have made the scheme financially viable.
The report from the council's conservation officer accepts building three-storey townhouses in the garden area will result ‘in a degree of harm’ to the setting of the original house - and involve the loss of trees.
But his report adds: “Their siting has been selected to minimise their impact upon views of the house frontage and their unique contemporary design has potential to offer a striking visual counterbalance to the character of the historic building.
"It is also acknowledged that the partial demolition of Belmont House is restricted to areas of low significance, therefore resulting in minimal level of harm.”
Stockport council’s planning and highways regulation committee meets at the town hall on Thursday, July 8 at 6pm.
