Trafford nods through Davyhulme homes

Along with the 57-strong Eccleston Homes development, the planning committee greenlit two padel courts at Dunham Forest golf club.

Davyhulme homes

On a site west of Barton Road last used as a scrap/storage area, Eccleston has put together plans for a project combining houses and apartments.

The Warrington firm is advised by planner Eden. Calderpeel is the architect, and Levitt Bernstein is the landscape architect.

Earlier plans by Eccleston for 37 homes at the site were refused in 2022 on design grounds, a decision upheld at appeal. As outlined by planning officers in their report to committee, “considerable effort – on the applicant’s part and with officer input – has been applied in addressing previous concerns and in arriving at a bespoke, contextual design solution for the site”.

The 4.2-acre site is close to Broadway Park and the Davyhulme Circle, directly to the west of the B5214 Barton Road – to the north, Barton Road leads to the Trafford Retail Park and Junction 10 of the M60.

There are buildings on site, including two non-designated heritage assets in Brook House and Willow Bank, which are now dilapidated and vacant. Other buildings comprise warehouse/shed structures which are also in a state of some disrepair.

Eccleston proposes 38 houses, including terraces, semi-detached, detached houses, along with 19 apartments across two blocks.

The range will be from one to four bedrooms and 14 of the homes will be affordable, made up of four houses and 10 flats.

Cllr Liz Patel, executive member for economy and regeneration at Trafford Council, said: “We recognise that a shortage of housing is a key issue for the residents of Trafford so where appropriate we are always keen to support proposals for new developments, particularly those which offer so many positives, such as affordable housing, high-quality design, and excellent sustainability credentials.”

“I’d like to thank Ecclestone Homes for their considerable efforts to completely revisit the proposal after their previous scheme was refused, and I look forward to seeing the development progress to create more homes for the people of our borough.”

Eden Planning associate director Rebecca Hilton spoke more about working with the council on the now-approved application.

“We understand the power of pro-actively engaging with officers to unlock sites through collaborative pre-application discussion,” she said.

“Hosting the discussions early on ensures a strong understanding of key issues, builds trust and confidence between all parties. Barton Road is a great example of highly effective pre-application discovery sessions, translating to a high-quality design which will deliver a place that the Trafford community can really get excited about.”

Padel courts

Superficially, plans to build two padel courts within the grounds of a golf club may not seem contentious – however, the Bowden site is Green Belt, and as such the applicant, the club itself, had to demonstrate very special circumstances in order to proceed.

As outlined by officers, the application relates to a piece of hardstanding (formerly tennis courts) currently used as a service area and additional parking within the grounds of the Dunham Forset Club, which is located within the Devisdale conservation area.

Permission has been granted for two padel tennis courts, with an enclosure and eight floodlights.

Officers said: “the proposal is considered to result in ‘less than substantial’ harm to the significance of the designated heritage asset, which would be outweighed by public benefit”.

Planner Paul Butler Associates and Forty8 Design advise the club.

You can learn more about the application by searching reference number 112477/FUL/23 on Trafford Council’s planning portal.