Plans for nine homes within the open countryside and green gap at Shavington have been recommended for approval.

John Mallam and his wife originally applied for permission for 23 homes on the 0.6-hectare site, which is to the rear of 42 Chestnut Avenue and is bound by residential development fronting Alfred King Close and William Yorke Place.

The revised application before next week's meeting of Cheshire East's southern planning committee is now for nine dwellings.

The planning officer's report to the committee states: "The council is no longer able to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, and the site is well related to the existing settlement and is of a scale which can be accommodated taking into account the availability of infrastructure.

"As such, the development should be approved unless the benefits of doing so would be substantially outweighed by any adverse effects."

The proposal is for two two-bed bungalows, two two-bed houses, three three-bed houses and two four-bed houses.

They would range from single-storey to three storeys in height.

The development would have a single vehicular access point from Alfred King Close.

Shavington Parish Council 'broadly supports the revised application'.

But 25 letters of objection were sent to Cheshire East from residents.

Reasons include highways and access concerns, impact on wildlife and the site being in the green gap.

The planning officer's report acknowledges the development would result in the loss of open countryside, but says this will be an inevitable consequence given Cheshire East's housing land supply position.

In terms of the impact upon the green gap, the report says: "The site already relates strongly to the residential areas to the west and would effectively result in the rounding-off of the adjacent residential development.

"The proposed development of the site will not lead to the coalescence of settlements, will not harm the separate identity of any settlements, and will not result in the loss of the existing settlement pattern."

And it concludes the impact on the strategic green gap 'would be very limited'.

The report also states there are a range of benefits that weigh in favour of the development.

These include economic benefits during construction and once the homes are occupied.

It adds: "The site is sustainably located and there is easy access to public transport and the services/facilities available in Shavington.

"The proposal would provide social benefits in the form of new homes."

The southern planning committee meeting takes place at 10am on Wednesday, September 9, at Delamere House in Crewe.