28th August 2025
The redevelopment of the former Hatherlow Sunday School has become the talk of Romiley, with unresolved land ownership and waived affordable housing requirements sparking local concern.
The scheme, which has been approved, aims to convert the historic Sunday school building into 11 new apartments. But recent investigations have revealed that the developer does not own two small patches of land crucial to the project. Because the Land Registry cannot confirm ownership for land with rights dating before 1925, questions remain over whether the development can proceed without legal disputes.
Adding to the controversy, Stockport Council removed the usual requirement for the developer to provide affordable housing. According to planning guidance, councils can adjust or waive affordable housing obligations if including them would render a project financially unviable. In this case, the council accepted that the development was entirely debt-financed, and insisting on affordable homes could have threatened the project’s viability.
Residents have expressed mixed reactions. Some support the redevelopment as a way to bring the long-empty Sunday school back into use. Others fear the community is losing out, not only on affordable housing but also on clarity over who actually owns parts of the site.
One neighbour said:
“It’s worrying that there are bits of land the developer doesn’t own. Combine that with no affordable homes, and it feels like the council is giving too much away.”
For now, the future of the Hatherlow Sunday School site rests on a delicate balance of finances, legal ownership, and council discretion — leaving the community watching closely as the redevelopment plans move forward.
