Cheshire East approves Congleton industrial, Nantwich resi

Clowes Developments’ 102,700 sq ft warehouse off Viking Way has secured a green light, as has David Wilson Homes and Muller Property Groups’ 188-home neighbourhood at Maylands Park.

Cheshire East councillors voted to grant planning permission to both projects during a two-hour strategic planning board meeting on Wednesday morning. Both decisions were made in line with planning officer recommendation.

Land to the east of Viking Way

Clowes Developments can move forward with its plans to build a 102,700 sq ft industrial unit on 6.5 acres off Viking Way in Congleton.

Whittam Cox Architects designed the shed, which managed to power through planning despite targeted questions regarding the building’s height of nearly 15 metres, the plausibility of a green roof (not feasible at this time was the verdict), and access concerns.

The project will include 127 car parking spaces, including six designated as disabled and eight with electric vehicle charging capability. There will also be spaces for 28 cycles to be stored.

The large shed makes up phase three of a larger Congleton scheme, which achieved outline planning consent in 2021 for up to 175 homes and a 20,500 sq ft supermarket, as well as 36,800 sq ft of offices and 219,500 sq ft of industrial.

Asteer Planning is the planning consultant for the Congleton industrial project.

Regarding the scheme’s successful planning meeting result, Asteer partner Alice Routledge said: ‘The approval of phase 3 at strategic planning board follows phases 1, 2, and a package of site-enabling works all granted in 2022, and demonstrates Clowes’ intent to deliver the requirements of this strategically important allocation in north Congleton.

“The building is of high-quality, sustainable design and is set within a spacious landscape framework with a multi-tonal material palette to compliment the surrounding character. It is yet another great milestone on the project’

Other consultants included Lightwoods Green on arboriculture, RPS on archaeology, Tyler Grange on ecology, and Energytest on energy.

BWB is the air quality and noise consultant. Construction Design Solutions is the flood risk, drainage strategy, and ground investigation expert.

The project team also includes Lighting Project Solutions, Hub Transport Planning, and TPM Landscape. Pegasus assisted in the EIA screening.

You can learn more about the project by searching reference number 22/3338C on the Cheshire East Council planning portal.

David Wilson Homes North West and Muller Property Group’s resi plans for Nantwich include 188 homes. Credit: via Asteer Planning

Maylands Park

The decision to approve David Wilson Homes North West and Muller Property Group’s 188-home project was unanimous at Wednesday’s planning committee meeting.

It was quite a turnaround for the project, which, though recommended for approval, had its parent outline application approved only at appeal. That outline application was signed off by the secretary of state last year.

This was also the second time the current reserved matters application had been on the committee’s agenda – it was deferred in January 2023 for councillors to take a site visit and changes to be made to the layout.

With council endorsement, the developers can now proceed with their plans to build on 18 acres south of Peter Destapleigh Way in Nantwich.

Of the 188 homes planned, 56 are set to be affordable. These would range from having one to four bedrooms. Around 65% would be available for affordable rent and the remaining 35% would be designated as shared ownership.

Looking at the entire housing mix, there would be seven one-bedroom homes, 37 two-bedroom homes, 74 three-bedroom homes, 60 four-bedroom homes, and 10 five-bedroom ones.

The proposals, designed by APD, also call for a playground, allotments, and three acres of public open space.

Like in the Clowes Developments scheme, Asteer Planning is the planning consultant for the project and TPM Landscape is the landscape architect.

Asteer managing partner Jon Suckley said the team was “very pleased” by the strategic planning board meeting result.

“Integral to this was the extensive consultation and iterative design process undertaken with the council’s planning and design officers, culminating in a comprehensive design code for the site and a high-quality residential development,” Suckley continued.

“At the heart of the development is an extensive area of public open space which has been designed in consultation with members of Stapeley Parish Council and includes a village green, neighbourhood equipped play area, kick about area, and five new allotments for community use set within the existing landscape framework”.

The project team for the Maylands Park resi includes drainage expert Lees Roxburgh, affordable housing guru Pioneer Property Services, arboricultural specialist Seed, and ecologist Ecus. Noise Consultants and Mode Transport Planning also worked on the project.

The project’s application reference number with Cheshire East’s planning portal is 22/3170N.