Developers given permission for 808 new homes in north-west Crewe
Cheshire East has given the go-ahead for developers to build over 800 homes on the outskirts of Crewe, situated in the north-west of town.
The council's strategic planning board voted unanimously on Friday 28 June to approve three separate housing applications for the land off Minshull New Road and Flowers Lane at Leighton.
They also approved a fourth application for amenities such as cycleways, formal play areas, informal open space, allotments and community orchard.
The Leighton site is included in the local plan and outline approval has already been granted for the land, which will also feature other services including local shops, community facilities, pub and a new primary school as part of the local plan.
The schemes approved today will see 304 homes on two parcels of land, A & B, which make up the southern-most part of the site.
Another 304 homes will be built across five parcels of land, C, D, E, F and G, and 200 homes on parcel H, making up the most northern part of the site.
Although the four applications were taken separately, councillors said it was impossible to discuss one application without referring to the whole site.
They raised concerns about flooding, how the application sites would be phased and the fact the developers, Bloor and Vistry, were only providing 10 per cent affordable housing.
Crewe North councillor Joy Bratherton (Labour), said: "We all know that that part of Crewe is very, very susceptible to flooding when we have the amount of rain of late over the years."
Planning officer Adrian Crowther admitted drainage 'has been and is a very significant issue on this site'.
"There have been discussions with the LLFA (lead local flood authority) to the best of my knowledge for at least six months," he said, adding council officers were confident the one outstanding matter could be conditioned.
Cllr Janet Clowes (Wybunbury, Conservative), asked how the development would be phased – which sites would be built first.
"We already heard that part of the road for parcel H is not going to be built at the moment, the pumping station is on parcel H, the school is on parcel H," she said.
"What do we do if that's never built?
"What do we do if that's five years from now, and we've got a whole host of children in all the other applications, lacking a facility?"
Head of planning David Malcom said a condition had been imposed when outline approval was granted saying no development can start before a phasing plan has been submitted to the council.
And there was an agreement the school had to be built once half the homes were completed.
The committee was told the developers were only providing 10 per cent affordable housing because of the viability of the scheme, as they were also building some of the road network.
Cllr Clowes said: "A site this size with only 10 per cent affordable housing in a place like Crewe, I think is absolutely appalling."
Cllr Ken Edwards (Bollington, Labour), said: "The aspiration, certainly in the local planning statement, was that normal policy with regard to affordable housing would be applied to this very large site of more than 800 houses, and as I understand, the normal policy… is 30 per cent."
He said the developers weren't building all the roads 'so when I hear about viability, I'm a little bit concerned'.
All four applications were approved unanimously, subject to conditions and an informative regarding liaison with ward members and parish councillors over phasing of the overall development.
READ MORE: New shop to open at former Crewe Bargain Booze site.
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