Hallam Land reveals 1,700-home Crewe ambitions

With a £1.3bn redevelopment primed to start at Leighton Hospital, the latest large-scale residential application in the area has been set in motion, with 236 acres mapped out by the land promoter.

Working for Hallam Land Management, the strategic land arm of Sheffield property group Henry Boot, Buro Happold has submitted a request for an Environmental Impact Assessment scoping opinion for land around Moss Lane, Leighton North.

The 236-acre site, bound by Middlewich Road to its western edge, is in two parcels north and south of Moss Lane, a short distance north of the soon-to-be-redeveloped hospital campus.

EIAs are required for projects above a certain size, or in projects of likely environmental impact. Given the scale of the proposals, and their open countryside location, the applicant acknowledges that the project constitutes EIA development.

As set out by Buro Happold, the submission of a scoping opinion request is considered to be good practice for EIA, ensuring that the scope of the assessment focuses on germane issues and eliminates detailed study of areas considered insignificant to a specific area.

Buro Happold further details two developments on nearby tranches of land, around Minshull New Road and Flowers Lane, where Bloor and Vistry secured an 850-home consent in 2021.

This development, where partners including Picture This are working to deliver different parts of the masterplan, will form the southern boundary of the Hallam land.

Also now live are plans from Cheshire Fresh, the firm set up by ex-Pochin directors Bob and Jim Nicholson, which this year submitted plans for Weavers Green, which could accommodate up to 2,100 homes at Red Hall Farm.

Although Hallam’s plans are indicative only, the documentation said that they could include up to ,700 homes, provision for over-55s, land for a primary school, a local centre and ancillary retail.

Stantec and Prospect Archaeology are also on the advisory team.

The documents can be seen on Cheshire East’s planning portal, reference 26/3072/EIA.