‘Inaccurate information’ led to green belt village refusal
Controversial plans for a student village providing accommodation for up to 2,300 people on green belt land will be reconsidered by Cheshire West & Chester Council on Thursday 15 August.
An integral part of the Chester Student Village development proposed by local company Bell Developments is the Redgrave Institute, a sports facility backed by Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave.
The scheme was refused planning permission in January, mainly due to its being situated on green belt land.
The developers are being represented by Spawforths, Leeds, and allege that the arguments which led the council to turn down the original application were based on inaccurate information.
The plans being resubmitted for the £100m scheme have not been amended.
The student village is intended to meet a suggested shortfall in accommodation for students attending Chester University.
Proposals for the Redgrave Institute include a gym, high performance area and health & wellbeing room, as well as spaces for research and rehabilitation.
What complete nonsense. In order to build on greenbelt land, the law requires there to be ‘very special circumstances’ The developer totally failed to demonstrate that these exist. Brownfield development already underway and planned will more than cope with any student accommodation shortfall. The sporting facilities proposed are no better and in some respects worse than what already exists in Chester. The Institute concept could be implemented without the need to build on this land. To see the case against this development in full, go to http://www.northchestergreenbelt.com and navigate to ‘student village’
By CWACcynic