PLANS for 84 homes and a commercial scheme at Shavington have been approved despite concerns about over-development.

Anwyl Homes submitted a full application for the residential scheme on land south of Newcastle Road and Stock Lane and outline plans for up to 700sqm of retail development.

The scheme is the third and final phase of the allocated Shavington/Wybunbury Triangle site – and will now see a total 446 homes on that land.

Wybunbury councillor Janet Clowes, speaking as a visiting member at Wednesday's meeting of Cheshire East Council's strategic planning board, said: "The original outline application supported 360 dwellings in all three phases of the development.

"This was later adjusted at inspection to accommodate up to 400 dwellings, Persimmon homes have already incorporated 360."

She said the additional 84 proposed by Anwyl represents an over-development of the site in its totality of more than 11 per cent.

"This is not acceptable as it further compromises the density and design integrity of this development on the rural edge," said Cllr Clowes.

She also raised concerns about drainage but was told the experts were happy with what was proposed.

The ward councillor then argued money from the applicant to address the biodiversity loss should be spent locally and not several miles away.

"We are extremely angry that Anwyl is proposing a 30 year plus grass improvement area on the Adlington Estate to the north of Macclesfield," said Cllr Clowes.

"The whole of the Wybunbury ward lies in one of 14 nationally designated nature improvement areas, in our case for meres and mosses, and we desperately need this kind of investment and support."

Several councillors agreed with Cllr Clowes regarding the biodiversity.

Cllr Patrick Redstone said: "I think mitigation should be spent locally as close to the site as possible."

Head of planning David Malcom said it is not always possible for such sites to be local to the development.

"It's easy for us to say there's places available but it's not always that easy when it comes to actually trying to make the paperwork and the details work," he said.

Some councillors questioned the number of houses proposed.

Cllr Brian Puddicombe said: "If it's around 400 I would take it to be between 390 and 410, not 440 plus."

Mr Malcolm told the meeting he did not think the council would win an appeal if the application was refused on the basis of numbers.

The application was approved, with nine voting for it and one councillor abstaining.

Regarding the mitigation for biodiversity, the planning board agreed to delegate that matter back to officers and the committee chair so they could discuss with the developer, the council's ecologists and the local councillors, the possibility of using an alternative, closer site.

A condition was also added stating the pedestrian crossing must be built prior to the houses being occupied.