Council to discuss 490-home Crewe plans

Planning officers at Cheshire East Council have recommended a 490-home development by The Co-operative Group for approval, despite the proposals contradicting the Crewe & Nantwich adopted local plan.

The outline planning application for the 70-acre site in Basford East near Weston village is due to be discussed by the Cheshire East planning committee on 15 April.

According to a report to the committee, the site is earmarked for use as a warehouse and distribution park within the Crewe & Nantwich local plan, but should be approved for housing as 'the council cannot demonstrate a five-year supply of deliverable housing sites'.

Questions over Cheshire East's housing pipeline up to 2030 have been repeatedly raised by planning inspectors and local developers. The examination into the council's local plan was suspended at the end of last year due to 'serious shortcomings with the council's objective assessment of housing need and future provision' according to the planning inspector. Cheshire East now has until July to submit more evidence and define its development sites before the examination begins again later in 2015.

The application at Basford East is for the first phase of construction on the large plot of land. Alongside the houses, The Co-operative would develop a 21,500 sq ft primary school, pumping station, substation and park areas.

The development will include 15% affordable housing, negotiated down from 30% by the developer due to viability issues.

The site is currently agricultural land.

Further applications are expected to be submitted to deliver more homes, commercial space, retail and medical facilities, a restaurant and community uses.

The Co-operative Group and Cheshire East Council were unavailable to comment.