Cheshire housing row goes to inquiry
A public inquiry will be held in December into plans by Redrow's Harrow Estates for 650 homes on two farms in Cheshire.
Cheshire West & Chester Council refused Harrows' planning applications, on traffic impact grounds, for housing developments on 79 acres across Hollies Farm and Grange Farm in Hartford. CWAC and Hartford Parish Council will argue against Harrow's appeal at the inquiry, which begins on 4 December in Winsford and is scheduled to last for eight days.
Hartford Parish Council and Hartford Joint Action Group, a lobby group, are campaigning locally for support and say they have submitted 2,000 objections from residents and businesses to CWAC as part of the evidence. Hartford Parish Council says the developments are unsustainable. The parish council is also drawing up a Neighbourhood Plan under the Localism Act and will argue for local decision-making around sustainable development.
Counsel for Harrow is expected to argue that there is critical demand for housing in Cheshire and the traffic impacts would not be severe as a travel plan would reduce the impact. Harrow Estates declined to comment. CWAC declined to comment.
Building on a flood plain – sounds like a good idea – not!
By Hardy
That’s the Harrow Way! They will sell it to a house builder (no doubt redrow) and let them deal with the consequences.
By Old Fart
Another front in Steve Morgan’s battle to promote urban sprawl, despite the economic, social and environmental costs which are hardly ever borne by the volume house builder. Will a "travel plan" actually fund the essential infrastructure needed to service a community? Of course not.
By Housing Market Failure