Sites identified for up to 3000 new homes

As reported last week, Cheshire East Council has approved its official five-year housing land supply.

The SHLAA (Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment) is required by national planning policy, set out in the National Planning Policy Framework, and is a key component of the evidence base to support the delivery of sufficient land for housing; to meet the community's need for more homes; and to inform housing policy within the Cheshire East Local Plan.

It can also assist the Council in resisting applications for housing development in inappropriate locations.

The document identifies potential housing sites and assesses whether these sites are developable, how many housing units could be accommodated on them and when they could be delivered.

For Wilmslow and Handforth, twenty-four sites, which are currently without planning permissions, have been identified which could accommodate just under 3000 new homes. 1724 of these are considered to be achievable in next six to ten years.

The largest site is land north of Wilmslow (off Dean Row Road) where Cheshire East says 476 homes could be built and land to the rear of Beaufort Chase, Handforth Road, Wilmslow which could accommodate 347 new dwellings.

The document, approved by the Cheshire East Council's Strategic Planning Board, includes all sites being proposed by landowners, developers and agents,

The site search has to be as wide ranging as possible, the Council is not allowed to pick and choose which sites they wish to include in the study.

Also identified in the SHLAA are the sites which have been identified within the Cheshire East Local Plan.

For Wilmslow and Handforth these are:

• Adlington Road for 225 dwellings, 135 in years 1-5 and 90 in years 6-10.
• Royal London for 75 dwelling in years in 6-10.
• Handforth East for 1800 dwellings, 600 in years 6-10, 600 in years 11-15 with 600 remaining.

Bedells Lane is also listed as a site that had been allocated within the former Macclesfield Local Plan to provide 25 dwellings in the next six to ten years.

Cllr Keith Purdom said "The document is interesting and helpful but the position of WIlmslow Town Council has always been that brownfield sites should be the priority.

"Thanks goodness we have Residents of Wilmslow (RoW) who have been amazingly good at identifying so many brownfield sites. If there are not enough to satisfy the planners then we should look at the safeguarded land on Adlington Road first, as it is the least defendable by planners, but not in 2015 but at the end of 2025 because brownfield sites can satisfy the earlier demand.

"There should be no housing on green belt, and therefore no housing at the Royal London site, and the land opposite should be left in the green belt, not safeguarded for development. Surely the brownfield sites and Adlington Road is enough and there is no need to go further in the 20 year plan."

The SHLAA does not determine whether any site is acceptable for future housing development, as that will be determined through the Local Plan, it does not mean that any site included will be granted planning permission or that any site not included cannot come forward for development in the future.

The following sites, currently without planning permission, were identified in Wilmslow and Handforth as being achievable and deliverable:

• Land north of Wilmslow (off Dean Row Road) for 476 dwellings, 125 in years 6-10 and 250 in years 11-15 with 101 remaining.
• Land to the east of Wilmslow Road, Handforth (junction of A555 & B358) - 31 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land to the rear of Cumber Lane for 79 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land off Upcast Lane for 163 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 73 in years 11-15.
• Land off Alderley Road, Wilmslow for 110 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 20 in years 11-15.
• Land east of 6 Handforth Road for 36 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land at Stanneylands Road for 103 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 13 in years 11-15.
• Land at Pigginshaw, Altrincham Road for 22 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land to the east of Cross Lane for 93 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 3 in years 11-15.
• Ned Yates Garden Centre, Moor Lane for 100 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 10 in years 11-15.
• Land north of Marks and Spencer, Earl Road, Handforth for 164 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 74 in years 11-15.
• Land off Chapel Road for 72 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land between Clay Lane and Sagers Road, Handforth for 249 dwellings, 125 in years 6-10 and 124 in years 11-15.
• Land to the rear of Beaufort Chase, Handforth Road, Wilmslow for 347 dwellings, 125 in years 6-10 and 222 in years 11-15.
• Land between Dean Row and Woodford Road for 270 dwellings, 125 in years 6-10 and 145 in years 11-15.
• Land to the north of Adlington Road for 195 dwellings, 95 in years 6-10 and 105 in years 11-15.
• Land off Dean Row Road for 28 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Rotherwood and adjacent land, Rotherwood Road, Wilmslow for 22 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land at The Coach House, Alderley Road, Wilmslow for 20 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land at Sunney Bank Drive for 12 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land at Hetlee Farm, Leigh Road, Wilmslow for 95 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 5 in years 11-15.
• Land at Stockton Farm, Stockton Road, Wilmslow for 139 dwellings, 90 in years 6-10 and 49 in years 11-15.
• Land off Bramley Close for 20 dwellings in years 6-10.
• Land at Hetlee Farm, Leigh Road, Wilmslow for 67 dwellings in years 6-10.

The Council will now need to review this document annually to ensure that the list of potential sites is kept updated and the Local Plan is 'sound' according to the new National Planning Policy Framework.

Click here to view the draft version of the SHLAA.

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Cheshire East Council, SHLAA