Just days after Cheshire East Council published their Local Plan Strategy document, plans for a development of 89 houses on Green belt land which does not form part of the Council's proposals were announced.
The Welton Oaks proposed housing development site is adjacent to Welton Drive, Stockton Road and bordered by Alderley Edge Golf Club. This land was included in the Wilmslow Vision consultation as a possible site for housing, but was not put forward as a potential site within the Local Plan.
However WCE Properties, who are acting on behalf of the landowner, argue that it is a much more suitable and accessible site for a new housing development and will have significantly less impact on the Green Belt than other Green Belt sites proposed by the Council around Wilmslow and Handforth.
A spokesperson for WCE Properties said "In their Core Strategy Pre-Submission Document, Cheshire East Council have stated 'to achieve sustainable development over a period of several decades, some alterations to the detailed Green Belt boundaries around settlements in both the north and south of the Borough are necessary through this Core Strategy'. This requirement has come about because historically Green Belt boundaries were drawn very tightly around settlements, leaving little space for future development.
"We believe that if a release of Green Belt land is to take place then sites should be selected very carefully on the basis that their release should not conflict with the stated purposes of the Green Belt. The release should not threaten the integrity of the remaining Green Belt i.e. the remaining Green Belt should still be able to perform its function equally well.
"We believe that this may not be the case in relation to some of the releases currently proposed by Cheshire East Council. For example, the North Cheshire Growth Village proposed at Handforth clearly gives rise to issues of visual coalescence between Handforth and Bramhall and is also of significant detriment to the openness of the countryside in that vicinity.
"In contrast, the land at Welton Drive is closely related and accessible to the existing settlement, it is a well contained and logical extension. The site is modest in size and has strong, well-defined and defensible boundaries and is very well screened by existing woodland. Because of these inherent attributes the site will have minimal impact on the wider area and will in no way raise issues of visual coalescence between Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, unlike other proposals in the area. The Welton Drive site can therefore be released from the Green Belt without detriment to the integrity of the remaining Green Belt."
WCE Properties are undertaking a pre-application consultation and seeking comments in relation to their forthcoming planning application, which they intend to submit in early 2014.
For further information and to submit comments and suggestions visit the Welton Oaks website.
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Lynne, according to their website affordable housing will be provided at the site. No numbers are specified, it says "affordable housing will be provided in accordance with Cheshire East Council’s requirements".
This will equate to around 26 affordable homes included within the scheme.