Plans to build 20 homes on the site of a former care home have been refused by Cheshire East Council.
The Northern Planning Committee decided that the proposal for a residential development off Sagars Road in Handforth was an inappropriate form of development within the Green Belt, which would reduce openness and encroaches into the countryside and that no very special circumstances exist to clearly outweigh the identified harm to the Green Belt.
Morris Homes North Ltd applied for full planning permission for a development of 2, 4 and 5 bedroom detached and mews style dwellings on the site of the former Knowle House. The private care home was demolished in 1996 following an arson attack and the site has been vacant since.
The Council received 67 letters of representation and a petition signed by 169 people. These local residents and interested parties objecting to the proposal on the grounds that the local infrastructure cannot accommodate increase in population, it's within the Green Belt, the proposal is out of character, loss of openness, impact on nature conservation and Handforth needs social housing.
Additionally, 5 letters either raising no objection or supporting the proposal were received. Handforth Parish Council also supported the application.
The plans can be viewed on Cheshire East Council's website by searching for planning reference 13/3883M.
