Government rejects Sandbach homes
A decision by Cheshire East Council to refuse planning permission for 280 homes in Sandbach has been backed by the Government.
A recent planning appeal by Fox Land & Property against the council's decision to deny planning permission for its Abbeyfields development was rejected by the Communities & Local Government Minister Eric Pickles.
A report said that Abbeyfields did not fit in with the Congleton local plan and that by granting planning permission it may prejudice work currently being carried out on the local development framework.
The Government also felt that by allowing houses to be built on greenfield sites, such as Abbeyfields, it may put a stop to developers looking at brownfield sites elsewhere in Sandbach.
Cllr Steve Wilkinson, cabinet support member for prosperity at Cheshire East Council, said: "This decision is vindication of the Council's planning and development policy and the hard work done by our planning officers on a daily basis.
"We recognise that we need to increase the amount of land available in Cheshire East for sustainable housing. However, this doesn't mean that developers can simply build homes where they see fit.
"Each application is looked at on an individual basis and consideration is given to how it fits into documents like the Local Plan and, in future, the Local Development Framework."
