The Planning Committee of Wilmslow Town Council has recommended refusal of the controversial application for a residential development off Adlington Road.
Approximately 75 residents attended their meeting on Monday, 27th January, where councillors agreed that Jones Homes' proposal for 203 dwellings on the 10 ha site on the north eastern edge of Wilmslow should be refused.
Their recommendation is based on the grounds that:
- The proposed development does not accord with the provisions of the (Macclesfield) development plan because in that plan it was "safeguarded" for future development after the expiry of that plan and that plan is still in force pending the adoption of a new Cheshire East local plan.
- The applicant's traffic assessment, which is expressed to be in support of the application and cannot therefore be regarded as impartial, understates the impact of the development on Adlington Road, Dean Row Road and Cross Lane and does not, on its own admission, take fully into account the impact on Adlington Road and Macclesfield Road of 950 new houses at Woodford.
- The assessment assumes an average of 1.5 cars per house but the actual number is likely to be higher than this with the average in more mature developments in Wilmslow being nearer to 3 cars.
- The applicant states that a car sharing scheme would be essential but such a scheme could not be enforced.
- The development will make the already dangerous exit from Wilmslow Park North to Adlington Road even more dangerous and will increase the amount of traffic through Wilmslow Park which is a private road.
- The development is not sustainable because of inadequate infrastructure to support it, such as sufficient places at either Dean Oaks Primary School or Wilmslow High School, doctors surgeries in Wilmslow are at present fully subscribed, there are no shops within easy walking distance and there is no pavement provision along Adlington Road to access the Bollin Valley.
- The risk of flooding has been understated and the danger of aggravating the existing problem of flooded cellars on the east side of Adlington Road has not been addressed at all.
- The density is too high and should be reduced to be more in keeping with the adjacent developments.
Wilmslow Town Council added that if, contrary to their recommendation, planning permission was granted then the houses backing on to Overhill Lane and Browns Lane should be more in keeping with the existing houses in these locations and the low cost houses should be moved to other parts of the site.
Additionally, they agreed that if the plans are approved then section 106 agreement should also provide for parking near the playing field to encourage use by the wider community and the development should be delayed until 2025 to allow for adequate infrastructure to be made available.
The plans can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 14/0007M.
The last date for submitting comments is 6th February and a decision is expected to be made at a meeting of the Strategic Planning Board on 5th March.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
However it is Cheshire East who need the houses for their local plan not ours.
At the Jones Homes consultation I asked a representative what they were providing for the local community if the development went ahead. He said that he felt it to be more important for me to ask Cheshire East what they had put into the local infrastructure from the money they had gained from the sale of school land off Dene Row Road? What is Cheshire East doing with our community money?
Please go to 14/0007M and add your comments about the development BUT make sure that it is there after you submit it. Mine never appeared - maybe a technical fault.
We have all got together and commissioned a separate survey which will be submitted to CE Officer Paul Whitefield on completion. This will be ready for submission by 6th February. This survey will include data for the mini roundabout at the Macclesfield Road junction which was totally ignored in the Jones report.
In the present Jones survey almost 70% of the traffic is said to be headed for the bypass, likely to cause traffic mayhem as it goes south from the development, east/west to roundabouts either end of Adlington Road and then north to the bypass. This makes the number of houses/exits proposed unsustainable.
Wilmslow Park, Browns Lane and roads off Adlington Road are likely to suffer serious traffic congestion by a proposed system that manages to affect just about every road in the vicinity of the proposed development including roads into the town centre, the whole of Dean Row's road system (as we know already badly congested), and we haven't even got proper figures for Woodford yet.
And this is only part of the submitted plan likely to cause upset.
I would urge all residents to make their objections to their Borough councillor and on the Cheshire East site before the deadline of the 6th February.
Kind regards,
Cllr Ellie Brooks
I should not in a democratic society have to state the obvious to all of you Cheshire East Councillors about to vote on this Plan. But lest you forget - In his letter to Councillor David Burbage on 1 May 2013 CLG Minister Brandon Lewis states, councillors must be prepared to modify or change their initial view in the light of arguments and evidence presented, and make their decisions with an open mind based on all the evidence.
Further :
In the well known Coughlan case it was ruled that to be proper consultation it must result in the consultation being conscientiously taken into account when the ultimate decision is taken.
To be undertaken when proposals are still at a formative stage.
Include sufficient reasons for particular proposals, and give adequate time, to allow those consulted to give intelligent consideration and an intelligent response.
Further Michael Jones as Leader of Cheshire East Council take note, you gave a statement at a public meeting in which you advocated no building would take place on these fields. Therefore you gave clear and unequivocal rise to a legitimate expectation.
that CEC has now published its document detailing the 5-year supply of housing land, required by the Coalition Government; it is due to go before the CEC strategic planning board for decision on 5th Feb and the Adlington Road site is not mentioned in that document.
The week-end 25/26th January they closed it between 1pm and 1pm over that period for 'maintenance'.
Playing Field level springs to mind.