A developer has applied for permission to build 24 homes on a Crewe site where 485 have already been approved.

Watkin Jones Group wants to build extra properties on the land to the north of Sydney Road.

The company acquired part of the Alexandra Gardens site in 2021 and has permission for 245 homes, including 159 affordable, on the area of the land it owns.

The rest is owned by another developer and is not included in this application.

The proposed development is for the construction of 24 houses and apartments within the south-east corner of the application site, including parking and amenity space (CEC Planning).

The planning statement on the Cheshire East planning portal, says the proposed development is for the construction of 24 houses and apartments within the south-east corner of the application site including parking and amenity space.

It indicates the proposal is to build the 24 homes on a section of site which previously was to house 17 larger properties.

The document, submitted by DLP Planning on behalf of WJG, says: "The formerly approved scheme included 17 houses within this portion of the site, however these were four-bedroom properties which have proven to be less desirable to the local housing market."

It says the proposed housing in the latest application includes a mix of two and three-bedroom properties.

The document states the WJG section of site 'has previously been established as having capacity for up to 275 dwellings, 30 more than granted in the scheme being developed'.

It continues: "Similarly, the two phases benefit from an allocation [in the local plan] for 525 dwellings, with only 485 dwellings having been granted across the two phases, leaving a balance of 40 dwellings.

"The opportunity for a more efficient layout in key elements of the site can also accommodate further dwellings which are then subject of the proposed full planning application.

"The additional dwellings – 24 dwellings under a full application – do not increase the amount of developed land, and thus there is no reduction in green space."

Much of the WJG site has already been built out and 159 have been sold as affordable homes to Plus Dane.

Of those affordable homes, 128 have already been completed and handed over to the housing provider with the remainder to be handed over by the end of July this year.

The closing date for comments is Wednesday 30 April, with the application due to be determined by a planning officer under delegated authority.

READ MORE: New family hub with 'modern facilities' opens at Crewe town centre venue.

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Crewe Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter email HERE - just click the 'SIGN UP' button.

Please consider following Crewe Nub News on Facebook or Twitter.