FAMILIES from "places like Crewe" don't realise the realities of country life claimed a councillor discussing plans for a low-cost housing estate in Wrenbury.

Long-serving Wrenbury ward councillor Stan Davies doubted whether it was a good thing to build too many affordable housing schemes in the area as it attracted people from larger towns, like Crewe, who would soon be asking "Where's the pub? Where's the betting shop?".

Cllr Davies made the remarks during a debate at Cheshire East Council's southern planning committee meeting on a proposed development of 45 affordable houses on land at Station Road in the South Cheshire village.

While the Conservative councillor stressed he did not object to the new houses in the village, his concern was that they would be most likely taken up by people from outside the area, who would quickly miss the services and lifestyle they knew in urban areas.

"We had a council meeting [parish] about it and asked how many people wanted more [affordable housing]. Was there any take-up? And they said 'no'. They got built anyway and the only people who came in were from Crewe and areas like that.

"They'd never lived in the country and they [the houses] were put on a greenfield site."

And the councillor, whose home is a farm near Cholmondeley, added: "Village life is getting spoiled by too many houses and trying to make them into towns. People in Wrenbury don't want that much low-cost housing.

"There is a problem from people coming from outside the area. Living in the countryside might be the grand thing to do, but once you've got there it's not actually what you thought. After about 12 months you say 'Where's the pub? Where's the betting shop?"

Cheshire East planners say the benefits of the Wrenbury scheme by Sovini Homes is that all the homes are classed as affordable housing; nine will be for affordable rent, 15 rent-to-buy properties and 21 shared ownership.

A children's play area is also to be included and planners says the housing would have a "neutral impact on ecology, and trees" and "largely accords" with the policies within the Development Plan for the area.

Crewe South councillor Laura Smith told yesterday's (Wednesday) meeting that it was wrong to discourage families from Crewe and Nantwich to move to more remote areas to secure adequate housing.

The UK's housing crisis portrayed in recent documentaries had shown examples of hundreds of people being forced to bid on a single property, she said.

"The reality is that people who are looking for affordable homes can be uprooted from London to the North East. We shouldn't be too negative about families from Crewe potentially moving to affordable housing in Wrenbury, although I do have concerns over infrastructure and facilities but this is a wider problem," said Cllr Smith.

"I do understand how villages want to keep them a nice place to live but we do need to try and think that people moving from Crewe and Nantwich is not a bad thing - it should be an option."

The planning application was approved by the committee conditional on a Section 106 agreement, which includes the developer contributing £257,515 to local schools as well as a £45,000 payment towards Wrenbury Recreational Ground.