Wrightcare’s Handforth proposal back on the agenda
Withdrawn from a Cheshire East planning docket earlier this year, the 76-bed facility has returned in a reduced form, this time with approval recommended.
Place reported in January how applicants Wrightcare – Eric Wright Groups care home arm – and Deansgate 5 were facing a battle at Cheshire East Council’s northern area planning committee.
With officers recommending refusal, the development team withdrew the application ahead of the session.
Officers had reported concerns relating to the relationship with a local wildlife site/priority woodland, surface water drainage and the Dobbin Brook, tree root protection areas and social relationship with trees to the south.
More information was also required in relation to biodiversity net gain, officers felt, while the scheme’s design was also queried.
Officers concluded then that despite meeting a care home meeting an identified need, not enough had been done to meet the “very special circumstances” threshold required for Green Belt development.
With Broadgrove advising on planning, the JV’s belief is that the site qualifies as Grey Belt, having formerly housed a care home, Knowle House, until a 1990s fire.
As set out in the officer report ahead of the 19 August meeting, the scheme has been tweaked, and officers are more persuaded of the Grey Belt argument on three grounds: that the site does not contribute in a significant way to adding to the ‘sprawl’ of Handforth, or the merging of towns, and does not impact on a historic town setting.
Amendments made to the scheme mean officers are satisfied the plan now meets the standard required. The overall number of beds has been reduced from 76 to 68, and the building line moved to avoid tree loss on the southern side.
Parking provision and pedestrian access to the front have been improved, the plant compound reduced in size, and the connection to a woodland walk improved.
The officer report sums up: “Given the site-specific characteristics, the Grey Belt status of the site, the provision towards housing numbers and the re-use of a previously developed area of land adjacent to existing built up, and matters that have been addressed in amendments, it is considered that in this case there are very special circumstances that outweigh Green Belt harm.”
Handforth Town Council “strongly recommends refusal” citing the dismissal of an appeal over a housing refusal at the site in 2021 on Green Belt grounds, adding that a care home is “not needed”.
That view is at odds with a consultant report described as “robust” by the council’s head of service, which in the words of officers shows that “overall, there is a clear and demonstrable unmet need for the type of development proposed”.
The professional team also includes architect Cassidy + Ashton, TEL Landscape Architects, WLG, Red Acoustics, Mode Transport and E3P.
Documents relating to the project can be seen on Cheshire East’s planning portal, reference 25/2053/FUL.
