A HOUSING scheme on the former LMR football club site in Crewe has been given the go ahead on the condition that alternative 'replacement' sporting facilities are find elsewhere in the town.

Cheshire East Council has given the go ahead for a 73 affordable-home scheme on the site in Goddard Street.

The scheme had been delayed because of a wrangle over a football pitch which used to be on the now derelict site and which, Sport England insists, must be replaced elsewhere if the houses are built.

The Guinness Partnership, which is building the homes, is to pay £80,000 to compensate for the loss of the pitch, but the council's officers had stated there was no suitable site in Crewe and recommended the money go towards improving the Sutton Lane Playing Fields at Middlewich.

The southern planning committee argued the cash needed to be spent in Crewe and the application was deferred at its August meeting.

At this week's meeting of the committee, as well as the Middlewich recommendation, an alternative option for the Section 106 money [the £80,000] was put forward – that it be held for up to five years to enable a site to come forward in the Crewe area.

Crewe West councillor Connor Naismith asked: "Given no site has been identified… how, in the officer's opinion, might a site come about in the next five years?"

Planning officer Dan Evans replied: "Sport England do seem to have given a bit of leeway in that they do talk about it not having to be spent on football."

Several councillors said they were in favour of the 100 per cent affordable housing scheme, while the only issue was the S106 money.

Earlier concerns around parking spaces and cycle parking had been resolved by the social housing provider.

Crewe North councillor Jill Rhodes said: "I'm sorry for the applicant because they put forward a viable scheme and much needed affordable housing and I can't support the loss of this S106 money going to Middlewich.

"I could support the five-year retention but I think I would be looking for a change in the playing pitch strategy, and that Ansa and Green Spaces actually actively seek somewhere to use this money in Crewe."

Middlewich councillor Mike Hunter said: "Personally I've always believed, and Middlewich people think the same, 106 money should be spent in the areas that the planning application is pertinent to, that money is pertinent to Crewe.

"As much as I would love it in my town, it is not pertinent to my town."

At the start of the meeting ward councillor Anthony Critchley, who was speaking as a visiting councillor, was scathing in his criticism of the council and Ansa and their search for a suitable site in Crewe.

He said he had been invited to a meeting with stakeholders for further discussions on possible options.

"I think my time probably would have been better spent painting the front room or going for a walk such was the lack of productivity," said the Crewe Central councillor.

Regarding the five-year option he said: "Call me sceptical, but I think we can safely say that there will be no proactive effort from Cheshire East, be it Green Spaces or Ansa, to seek such appropriate locations."

And he said if officers thought Sport England would not accept the money being on hold for five years 'then why is it being suggested, and why is it even in the report for you [the committee] to consider this morning'?

Planning officer Dan Evans responded, reeling off a list of Crewe sites which had been considered and with reasons why none was suitable.

In response to whether Sport England would accept the five-year holding period for the S106 money, which was also questioned by some committee members, he said: "We've got to the stage where negotiations have gone on for so long… and if Sport England wish to refer the application to the Secretary of State then they have the option to."

None of the discussion related to the scheme itself – which comprises 42 independent living apartments and 31 houses – it all centred around the S106 money.

The application was approved with the condition the S106 money be held for up to five years for a suitable site to be found in Crewe.