Full marks for Crewe school proposal
Unanimous committee approval has been given for a primary school in Basford East, the strategic site that also includes 850 homes and industrial development.
The application was considered by Cheshire East Council’s southern planning committee this morning, and was passed with relatively little fuss.
Approval also met a nine-home infill site in Shavington, but deferment was the verdict for Ocean Group’s 48-home plan in Church Lawton.
The school was the big item though. Taylor Wimpey and Onward have been adnvancing homes at the Basford East strategic site, which along with housing includes employment land – being advanced by Muse – and a local centre.
Cheshire Eat itself is the client and applicant for the project, with Halliday Meecham the architect responsible.
Conlon Construction is lined up as contractor, while the professional team also includes Currie & Brown, David Trowler Associates, Sutcliffe, GLD Consulting, RSK, SCP, ADAS, Wardell Armstrong, TPM Landscapes, Hepworth Acoustics, and Brimstone.
The site concerned is where Onward Homes’ Signallers Croft development joins David Whitby Way. With outline approval secured by the wider masterplan, reserved matters consent was sought.
Initially, it would operate as a one-form entry school accommodating up to 210 pupils across the primary age range, then could be expanded to a two-form entry school.
Officers summed up that “the proposal is acceptable from a pure land use perspective and would deliver an essential social element of Basford East Strategic site in a sustainable location”.
Amendments to design and layout have been secured, they continued, with the development “considered to be acceptable in design and landscape terms”.
Although the application had been referred to the southern committee by Cllr Heler on traffic impact and pedestrian safety concerns, the impact of school traffic on the nearby roundabout and wider highway network is acceptable to highways officers.
Although the Weston and Crewe Green Parish Council said it supports the proposal, it raised seven items of concern, mostly on traffic and travel but also mentioning design.
That was also picked up on at committee by Cllr Martin Edwards, who qualified his “absolute” support for the plan with a request to brighten the exteriors, saying “it looks like an office block – it’s a primary school, there should be colour and creativity”.
The proposals can be seen on Cheshire East’s planning portal, reference 26/0279/RES.
