Peaks & Plains secures Bollington consent
A project calling for the demolition of 44 bungalows, to be replaced by 77 affordable homes, has squeaked through at Cheshire East’s northern planning committee.
Six votes were given in favour of approval, and four against at today’s meeting of Cheshire East’s northern planning committee.
At issue is land at Crossfield Road and Kent Avenue in Bollington, taken up at present by 44 one-bedroom bungalows managed by housing trust Peaks & Plains.
The bungalows are all let at social rent, and are mostly vacant. Although there seemed to be some uncertainty over the exact level of occupancy, it appears that at most 11 are still occupied, with two of those tenants being in the process of relocating.
Peaks & Plains has set out that the buildings are approaching the end of their reasonable lifespan. Based on structural surveys carried out in 2024, this assertion was backed up at the meeting by Emery Planning director Caroline Payne who said that at present they “fall significantly short” of the Decent Homes Standard, and even with intervention might not be up to scratch.
The proposed housing mix is 35 houses, nine bungalows and 33 apartments in three-storey blocks, with the apartments and bungalows, to the south of Crossfield Road, to be dedicated to over-55s. Some homes would be for rent, some shared ownership.
Professionals working on the project include Emery, architect Bowker Sadler, and Curtins.
Seventy nine letters were received from local resident ahead of the meeting, while Bollington Town Council also objected, citing five areas of concern.
No statutory consultees objected, with officers summing up in a recommendation for approval that “the redevelopment of the site for residential purposes would be an efficient use of land in a sustainable location within the settlement boundary of a Local Service Centre. The development is acceptable in principle”.
Members took some convincing though, with issues such as the housing mix, affordability, and the prioritisation of existing or previous tenants following development among the topics discussed at length in the course of two hours and 20 minutes, with conditions suggested relating to those fields.
Documents relating to the proposals can be seen on Cheshire East Council’s planning portal, reference 25/4697/FUL.
