Cheshire East rejects 45 affordable homes

Anwyl Partnerships’ project in Crewe hit a roadblock at the local authority’s planning committee meeting. BLOK’s Nantwich office proposal was similarly refused, while Crown Care’s proposed Sandbach care home was approved.

Cheshire East’s Southern planning committee met on 30 August to debate the applications in a nearly six-hour meeting. The largest of the projects on the agenda were the three mentioned. Read on to learn more about each.

Land off Sydney Road in Crewe

Application reference number: 22/1412N

Councillors spent more than an hour debating Anwyl Partnership’s application for 45 affordable homes on 2.5 acres of former pastureland situated off Sydney Road in Crewe.

Ultimately, they voted to reject the application, stating that the benefits of the project did not outweigh the harm it would have on the open countryside because of the scheme’s cramped form, layout, and design.

This is the second time an affordable housing development has been rejected on this site. Anwyl had issued an earlier application that was refused in 2019. This newer application had sought to address the concerns of the committee, by offering more smaller units, bungalows, and a children’s play area.

In total, Anwyl was proposing to build three bungalows, 16 one-bedroom apartments, 14 two-bedroom homes, and 12 three-bedroom residences. The project would have been 100% affordable rented homes.

Anwyl’s plans had been recommended for approval by the council’s planning officers, however, the application faced opposition from 14 neighbours and Crewe Town Council. The objections described the scheme as overdevelopment and said the accommodation was contrary to Nationally Described Space Standards.

Ascerta was the landscape architect for the scheme, which was designed by JDA Architects. Stantec was the planning consultant.

Acanthus Darbyshire Architects drew up the plans for the care home for Crown Care Group. Credit: via planning documents

The Limes in Sandbach

Application reference number: 21/4635C

Crown Care Group’s plans for a 57-bed care home got the green light from the committee, despite concerns over the amount of parking provided. The decision was in line with officer recommendation.

The care home will be built on the site of the former The Limes Public House, which has been closed for more than two years. It will provide accommodation for a mixture of care needs, including those with dementia.

Only 23 car parking spaces are provided, which is less than the 27 that is policy standard.

Acanthus Darbyshire Architects designed the care home, which will keep the Limes Bowling Green for use by the area’s bowling team. The project team also includes ITransport Planning, The Home Engineers, Pennine Ecological, and arboriculture consultant Iain Tavendale.

Cheshire East councillors did not agree with BLOK’s argument that its office park would not harm the open countryside. Credit: C4 Projects via planning documents

Land north of Alvaston roundabout in Nantwich

Application reference number: 22/0720N

Councillors agreed with their planning officers when it came to BLOK’s application to construct six office blocks totalling 60,600 sq ft on a nearly three-acre site north of Avlaston roundabout in Nantwich. The plot in question sits next to Alvaston Business Park.

Officers had recommended the rejection of the application because of the development’s size and the site’s location within open countryside. The officers stated that BLOK had not adequately justified the need to build employment space on the site when there was other land provided in the local plan.

This is the second time an office development has been proposed on the site. An earlier application was rejected in 2021 for similar reasons. In BLOK’s application, submitted by Gartner Town Planning, the company argued that these reasons for refusal were not valid, stating that the project would integrate well into the landscape and was well contained.

The project team included Mode Transport Planning, marketing commentator Legat Owen, landscape and visual appraisal reporter Enplan, flood risk and drainage consultant Tier Consult, and ecologist ERAP. C4 Projects designed the offices for BLOK.