As of January 2nd 2008, Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust have opened their new offices at Ropewalks, Newton Street, Macclesfield.

Since the Trust was established in July 2006, they have been based at three separate office locations across Macclesfield, including their head office at Fence House, Fence Avenue. This was always intended to be a temporary solution until a single building could be found that was large enough to accommodate all staff.

The Ropewalks development, on Newton Street (off Bond Street) has proven ideal. Its location is easily accessible from Macclesfield town centre, which means it can be reached by a range of public transport routes and there is car parking nearby. It is hoped that it will prove far more convenient for customers from across the borough.

The building itself is based a former mill (Hardings Mill) which has been completely renovated and has had a newly built wing attached to create a large office space. Cheshire Peaks & Plains Housing Trust will not take over the whole building, but will be renting office space on three floors from Magnus the building’s owner.

The building shell was completed earlier this year and since then extensive work has been done out to fit out the interiors. The Trust has carried out consultation with staff and residents to make sure that the facilities provided in the offices meet their needs. For example, in reception there will be a wide range of customer information and there will be computers available with free internet access for customers.

Tim Pinder, Chief Executive says “We have chosen this high quality building to reflect the quality standards we aim to achieve in our services to customers and in the improvements we make to tenants’ homes. Most importantly, the central location will be much more convenient for our customer base, and we have had very positive feedback on the choice of site from our Tenant Panel. It will also provide a great working environment for our staff, especially since we will all be under one roof for the first time. I am delighted to begin 2008 in Ropewalks!”