Bovis wins consent for 300 Macclesfield homes
Cheshire East councillors voted seven to one in favour of plans by Bovis to build around 300 homes on a former green belt site to the south of Macclesfield at yesterday’s strategic planning board.
The site to the south of Lyme Green Business Park is roughly 57 acres, and wraps itself around the council’s Lyme Green Highways Depot while Rayswood Nature Reserve sits to the south, with the Macclesfield Canal to the west.
The area was allocated for housing under Cheshire East’s Local Plan and released from the green belt in 2017.
The housebuilder’s outline application is for around300 houses with more details of scale to come forward at a later date. There is also provision for around 300,000 sq ft of public open space, a children’s play area, and a community building within the application. Access is to be via London Road and the homes will be served by a new internal network of roads.
Green buffers are factored in to separate the site from the Macclesfield Canal and the nature reserve to the south.
Around 30% of the houses have been put forward as affordable, amounting to circa 90 homes, with a 65%-35% split between social rent and 35 as intermediate tenure.
The scheme was recommended for approval at committee, and at the meeting, Andrew Wintersgill of planner David Locke Associates spoke on behalf of the applicant.
He pointed out there had been a year of stakeholder engagement before an application was submitted, with a consultation event held at Macclesfield Town Football Club in April this year. There have also been no objections from statutory consultees.
Wintersgill added that by allowing the plans to come forward, the council would be able to maintain its housing land supply, reducing the need for development on non-allocated sites.
Committee members agreed, approving the scheme seven to one with one abstention. The scheme was approved subject to a Section 106 agreement; this is to including a £1.7m education contribution featuring £800,000 towards secondary and £670,000 towards primary. There will also be £333,000 towards healthcare provision, along with £726,000 for highways.
