Housebuilder finally secures Crewe win
David Wilson Homes has won planning permission for 146 homes off Sydney Road, after the scheme was considered for a third time at Cheshire East’s strategic planning board.
Working with landowner the Duchy of Lancaster on an 11-acre site allocated in the borough’s Local Plan for a development of around 150 homes, DWH initially proposed 151 homes.
June’s meeting of the SPB deferred a decision on this, citing concerns around traffic and safety issues and the location of open spaces within the plan, which covers a triangular plot between Sydney Road, the Haslingden bypass and the Crewe Green roundabout.
Refreshed proposals were heard in August, reduced to 149 homes with a more centralised, enlarged play area. A decision was once again deferred, with the board seeking further changes around the apartment buildings in the part of the site addressing the Crewe Green roundabout.
The project, now with 149 homes and changes made as requested, was discussed at the meeting for close to two hours, with the prevailing feeling seeming to be one of all avenues having been exhausted. Cllr Steven Edgar noted that while he still believes the site to be unsuitable, “concerns have been somewhat resolved”.
Chair Mike Hunter flatly declared his dislike of the project design, saying “I don’t think it’s a good gateway for Crewe”. Officers assured the committee that “this is a difficult site and this has been a beneficial process”.
Committee eventually voted 6-3 in favour of consent, with one abstention.
Two projects each recommended for refusal at the meeting – Muller Group’s reserved matters application at Fields Farm, Sandbach, and a retirement community in Chelford – were both withdrawn ahead of the session.
And where will all that extra traffic go?
By Rob
“And where will all that extra traffic go?”
On the road Rob, much like all the other traffic.
This has been a huge waste of time and resources for Cheshire East who should have approved it much, much earlier and not have wasted so much of planners time and money. Finally the right decision was made, but you do have to question the intellectual and professional capabilities of some councillors who were advocating for design changes that were either impossible, or downright silly. The only change that was needed was the location of the play area, everything else was down to the councillors own biases and subjectivity, not actual planning policy or theory.
By AJM