Macclesfield Town Council has formally abandoned its South Park Pavilion scheme after every construction bid came in well above the approved budget. The decision, confirmed in a council update published on 15 June, means the authority will not take up the £1.25 million Public Works Loan Board borrowing that had been earmarked for the project.
Five tenders were received and all exceeded what the council could afford, with building costs alone ranging from over £2.15 million to £2.46 million. Those figures did not include professional fees, fitting out the interior or any contingency allowance, pushing any realistic spend far beyond the original budget. Challenging industry conditions—rising inflation, a shortage of labour, surging material prices and wider economic pressures—were cited by the Council as nationwide factors that made the scheme undeliverable within the approved budget.
The £100,000 a year raised through a 10 per cent precept increase to fund improvements in the park remains untouched in the council’s bank account. No loan repayments have been made and residents face no borrowing costs. Cheshire East Council, which owns the existing pavilion building, retains full responsibility for it; the town council has not entered into any lease.
Instead, councillors are now shaping a simpler “Park Hub” concept to be delivered without reliance on external borrowing. Early ideas include public toilets, fully accessible facilities, storage and utility space and a large covered area that could host community events, markets and pop-ups throughout the year. The council intends to work more collaboratively with Cheshire East on any future scheme, drawing on examples of joint working elsewhere in the town.
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