PLANS to overhaul the former Rackhams building in Altrincham's town centre are now a step closer.

New images were released as Bruntwood Works and Trafford Council revealed their plans for the building. The next phase of a public consultation has started.

The joint venture project will be Bruntwood Works’ first major project outside Manchester city centre.

The town hall has already invested heavily in a number of projects to regenerate Altrincham.

The proposed plans, which are subject to planning permission, include a complete redesign of the ground floor, providing space for new bars and restaurants, plus outdoor terraces on Stamford Square.

A 340 square metre ‘living wall’ will also be installed around the building to provide oxygen and to help to reduce noise levels.

The once-loved House of Fraser store will be transformed into 37,500 square feet of commercial space, with space for shops, bars and restaurants on the ground and lower ground floors.

A two-storey extension and outdoor terraces on the first floor also feature in the plans, along with new cycle storage and showers on site to promote active travel.

The transformation is part of Bruntwood Works’ £50 million Pioneer programme – designed to create creative, sustainable work spaces.

The idea is to try and encourage more people to come into the town centre for leisure and work.

The building’s proximity to Altrincham Interchange also provides excellent tram, train and bus links to the city centre, whilst improved lift and ramp access will be introduced to improve accessibility.

Now the community can have their say in the next stage of the consultation process.

The council and Bruntwood Works particularly want to hear from local residents and community groups regarding disabled access provision.

Some drop-in sessions will be taking place at Stamford Square in the Not So Secret Garden on Wednesday 18 August from 12pm until 4pm.

Cllr Andrew Western, leader of Trafford Council, said: “Trafford Council is proud of the work it has carried out to help make Altrincham the fabulous and successful centre it is today. We are committed to creating successful and thriving places and having pride in all of our areas across the borough.

“This development would provide a further boost to Altrincham town centre and transform the former Rackhams store into a sustainable and green workspace hub with first-class retail and leisure facilities.”

Andrea George, town centre and consumer brands director at Bruntwood Works, said: “As a hugely successful destination in its own right, Altrincham already has all the ingredients for an even brighter future. We want to harness this by creating a blend of retail and leisure with premium workspaces that deliver greater opportunities for the community to come together in one central hub.

“The pandemic changed the way we interact with our high street, boosting town centres and creating exciting opportunities to redevelop former department stores for new uses. We’re confident the transformation of the former Rackhams store will be a game-changer for the town and prove an attractive proposition for those looking for workspace outside of the city centre, whilst providing a new and much-needed amenity that complements the existing operators within Stamford Square.”

Altrincham's Cllr Michael Welton said: “We have raised concerns about accessibility and ensured that groups that support people with disabilities have been consulted at an early stage. There will be lift access for the first time, alongside an improved ramp and stairs.

“It is so important that these issues are tackled at the start of the design phase, which hasn’t happened in some of the previous changes along Stamford New Road. We are also pleased to see these buildings being reused creatively, which will prevent huge amounts of carbon emissions compared to demolition and building anew.”

Rackhams is just one of a cluster of iconic buildings in the Stamford Quarter that the council and Bruntwood Works plan to include in the transformation of the area.

More detail about the plans can be found here: stamfordquarter.com/masterplan/phase-one.

Subject to planning approval, works are expected to start in the autumn.