Controversial plans for a residential development on green belt land currently occupied by an abattoir and a house on Moor Lane will be determined next week.
The Northern Planning Committee will consider the application from the Stewart Milne Group to build 21 dwellings at Yewtree Farm, along with associated infrastructure and open space provision, at their meeting on Wednesday, 13th January.
Apart from the dwelling house, the owners say the site has been used as an abattoir since 2001. Two separate planning applications for Lawful Development Certificates to formalise these uses were submitted in August 2014 (dwelling house 14/3785M) and October 2014 (abattoir 14/4954M). Application 14/3785M was approved in March 2015 but application 14/4954M remains undetermined.
The planning application is recommended for refusal on the grounds of inappropriate development in the green belt, impact on neighbouring properties and and insufficient information regarding highways and flood risk matters.
Representations have been received from approximately 45 households, 6 of which were in support of the proposal and the rest were objections. Wilmslow Town Council also recommend refusal on the grounds that there were no exceptional circumstances for the development in the Green Belt.
Councillor Gary Barton, who has just returned from the Northern Planing Committee's site visit to Yewtree Farm will be speaking against the application at the planning committee meeting next week.
He said "There is, understandably, little love from nearby residents (of which I am one) for the chicken abattoir at Yewtree Farm, so the principle of replacing the abattoir with a sensible housing development is not something I am against. However, my objection to this applications rests on three issues.
"There are highways considerations regarding access to the site which is on a blind curve in Moor Lane. More importantly, this application would significantly harm a very attractive part of the green belt as it is larger in footprint and volume than the existing 'industrial' parts of Yewtree Farm (i.e., the bits directly associated with the abattoir).
"The offer of leaving a small part of the site as 'recreational' ground is hollow as this would be no gain for residents of existing properties and the clear indication is that this is to aid future additional development on the land at the farm.
"Finally, the proposed application is also ridiculously close to neighbouring properties on Arlington Crescent and Winchester Close. It would mean new two story houses houses less than 10 meters from bedroom and living room windows of existing properties in some cases. We need new housing in Wilmslow and getting rid of the abattoir would be a good thing, but this is a bad application."
The proposal is for two-storey detached properties and mews houses with 30% of the properties being affordable and two parking spaces per property. Access into the site would remain rom Moor Lane.
The Northern Planning Committee will meet on Wednesday, 13th January at 10.00 am in The Capesthorne Room at Macclesfield Town Hall.
The planning application can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 15/3058M.
